title: Emodin alleviates lung injury in rats with sepsis.
abstract: Sepsis has high morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to investigate whether emodin, an anthraquinone derived from Chinese herb, exerts protective effects on lung injury in rat model of sepsis.
  
  
  
  Forty-eight male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 12): normal group, sham-operated group, cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) model group, and emodin-treated group. Saline or emodin (25 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally 0.5 h before CLP. The rats were sacrificed 48 h after CLP. Lung wet-to-dry weight ratio and pathologic changes in the lung were examined, the contents of malondialdehyde and myeloperoxidase in lung tissue were detected, serum tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 6 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) was detected by Western blot analysis.
  
  
  
  Compared with control group, CLP group exhibited higher wet-to-dry weight ratio and water content in the lung (P < 0.01), but these indexes were reduced and pathologic changes in the lung were relieved in the emodin-treated group. In addition, lung malondialdehyde and myeloperoxidase contents, serum levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 6, and phosphorylation of p38 MAPK increased in the CLP group but decreased in the emodin-treated group (P < 0.05).
  
  
  
  Emodin exerts protective effects on lung injury in septic rats, which is related to the inhibition of p38 MAPK pathway and the reduction of oxidative stress and inflammation response during sepsis.
authors.affiliation: Department of ICU, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China.
authors.forename: Jiang-Tao
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Department of ICU, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China. Electronic address: bingwan76@163.com.
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: Department of ICU, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China.
authors.forename: Da-Dong
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of ICU, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China.
authors.forename: Sheng-Xia
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China.
authors.forename: Hai-Yan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Clinical laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China.
authors.forename: Yin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: Emergency Medicine Center, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Emergency Medicine Center, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China.
authors.forename: Yikun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004642:Emodin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D055370:Lung Injury / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018805:Sepsis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D020011:Protective Agents; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D004642:Emodin
keywords: IL-6; Lung injury; Sepsis; TNF-α; p38 MAPK