Effect of epicatechin on inflammatory cytokines and MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway in lipopolysaccharideinduced acute lung injury of BALB/c mice

Gen Physiol Biophys. 2022 Jul;41(4):299-308. doi: 10.4149/gpb_2022023.

Abstract

This study evaluated the anti-inflammatory effect of epicatechin (EC) on acute lung injury (ALI) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of tracheal installation in BALB/c mice. It was observed that EC could alleviate not only the histopathological changes but also decrease the wet/dry weight (W/D) ratio of lung tissues. It also suppressed the release of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in serum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and lung tissues, respectively. A quantitative realtime PCR-based study further indicated that EC also inhibited the levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA in lung tissues. In addition, the Western blot report suggested that EC was closely involved in the inhibition of phosphorylation of ERK, JNK, p38, p65, and IκB in mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway. These results provide an experimental and theoretical basis for treating pulmonary inflammation by EC.

MeSH terms

  • Acute Lung Injury* / chemically induced
  • Acute Lung Injury* / drug therapy
  • Acute Lung Injury* / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Catechin*
  • Cytokines
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Lung / pathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism
  • NF-kappa B / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • NF-kappa B
  • Catechin
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases