Background: This study investigated the effects of glycyrrhizin (GR) on the ratio of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) to cluster of differentiation (CD)11b+Gr1 myeloid cells in the heart and lungs in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced septic mice.
Methods: Mice were divided into three groups: Control, LPS, and LPS+GR. After intraperitoneal injection of phosphate-buffered saline for the Control group, LPS for the LPS group, and a combination of LPS and GR for the LPS+GR group, fluorescence-activated cell sorting was utilized to evaluate cytokines and immune cells in the blood, heart, and lungs. Histopathologic analysis of Toll-like receptor (TLR)4 was also performed.
Results: The cytokine amounts in the LPS and LPS+GR groups were significantly higher than in the Control group; however, that in the LPS+GR group was significant lower than in the LPS group. The ratio of MDSCs to CD11b+Gr1 myeloid cells in the LPS+GR group was significantly higher than in the LPS group but was significantly lower than in the Control group. The staining intensity of TLR4 showed the same pattern as that of cytokines in the heart and lungs. TLR4 staining was significantly lower in the LPS+GR group than in the LPS group but was higher than that in the Control group.
Conclusion: GR exhibited protective effects on the heart and lungs in LPS-induced septic mice. The effects were associated with an elevated ratio of MDSCs to CD11b+Gr1 myeloid cells and the inhibition of cytokine release and TLR4 expression after GR injection.