title: Toll-like receptor 4 implicated in acute lung injury induced by paraquat poisoning in mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the possible relationship and mechanism of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and acute lung injury induced by paraquat (PQ) poisoning.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male wild type mice and male TLR4-knockout mice were used in this study. After paraquat treatment for 24 hours, mice were euthanized and pathology, TLR4 expression and pro-inflammatory cytokines were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Wild type mice showed deteriorated lung injury, pathological damages and increased TLR4 expression and pulmonary TNF-α, IL-1β and NF-κB p65 levels after PQ treatment. TLR4-deficient mice were significantly resistant to paraquat-induced lung injury.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TLR4 may be required as a mediator and may play an important role in acute lung injury induced by paraquat.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University Shenyang, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Urologic Surgery, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University Shenyang, China.
authors.forename: Li-Ping
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Shan
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University Shenyang, China.
authors.forename: Xue-Song
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University Shenyang, China.
authors.forename: Zhi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
keywords: Paraquat; Toll-like receptor 4; acute lung injury; inflammation; poisoning