Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) causes acute lung injury (ALI) and contributes to inflammation in the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and sepsis. Ulmus davidiana Planch has been used for a long time to cure edema, mastitis in oriental medicine. Th...
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) causes acute lung injury (ALI) and contributes to inflammation in the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and sepsis. Ulmus davidiana Planch has been used for a long time to cure edema, mastitis in oriental medicine. The present study was designed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of Ulmus davidiana Planch extract (UDE) and dexamethasone on LPS -induced ARDS rats. Acute lung injury or ARDS was evaluated by lung weight changes, nitrite/nitrate (NO₂-/NO₃-), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) measurement, the plasma tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and by biochemical factors in serume. Radiography and histopathology were examined. UDE and dexamethasone abrogated the extent of endotoxin-induced ARDS, as evidenced by the decrease nitrate/nitrite and LDH in BALF, the decrease pCO₂, the increase O₂ and Partial oxygen tension/ fraction of inspired oxygen (pO₂/FI), the increase in wet/dry weight ratio. The plasma ALT, AST, urea nitrogen levels after administration was significantly lower in the UDE group than in the saline groups. These results suggested the effects of UDE on LPS-induced inflammation and the involvement of inhibition of the plasma TNF-α, SOD activity and NO levels.