title: Shikonin exerts anti-inflammatory effects in a murine model of lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury by inhibiting the nuclear factor-kappaB signaling pathway.
abstract: Shikonin, an analog of naphthoquinone pigments isolated from the root of Lithospermum erythrorhyzon, was recently reported to exert beneficial anti-inflammatory effects both in vivo and in vitro. The present study aimed to investigate the potential therapeutic effect of shikonin in a murine model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI). Dexamethasone was used as a positive control to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of shikonin in the study. Pretreatment with shikonin (intraperitoneal injection) significantly inhibited LPS-induced increases in the macrophage and neutrophil infiltration of lung tissues and markedly attenuated myeloperoxidase activity. Furthermore, shikonin significantly reduced the concentrations of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid induced by LPS. Compared with the LPS group, lung histopathologic changes were less pronounced in the shikonin-pretreated mice. Additionally, Western blotting results showed that shikonin efficiently decreased nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) activation by inhibiting the degradation and phosphorylation of IκBα. These results suggest that shikonin exerts anti-inflammatory properties in LPS-mediated ALI, possibly through inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway, which mediates the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Shikonin may be a potential agent for the prophylaxis of ALI.
authors: Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province 130062, People's Republic of China.
authors: Dejie
authors: D
authors: Liang
authors: Yong
authors: Y
authors: Sun
authors: Yongbin
authors: Y
authors: Shen
authors: Fengyang
authors: F
authors: Li
authors: Xiaojing
authors: X
authors: Song
authors: Ershun
authors: E
authors: Zhou
authors: Fuyi
authors: F
authors: Zhao
authors: Zhicheng
authors: Z
authors: Liu
authors: Yunhe
authors: Y
authors: Fu
authors: Mengyao
authors: M
authors: Guo
authors: Naisheng
authors: N
authors: Zhang
authors: Zhengtao
authors: Z
authors: Yang
authors: Yongguo
authors: Y
authors: Cao
mesh_terms: D055371:Acute Lung Injury / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000633:toxicity*; D029684:Lithospermum / Q000737:chemistry; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D009285:Naphthoquinones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D016207:Cytokines; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D016328:NF-kappa B; D009285:Naphthoquinones; C482199:lipopolysaccharide, E coli O55-B5; C016101:shikonin