ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the effects of radix salviae militiorrhizae (RSM) on acute lung injury induced by"two hits"and to study its probable mechanism.Method Thirty Wister rats were randomly divided into three groups:namely normal control group,model group and RSM treatment group.The model was created by"two-hits"in which 0.2 ml/kg oleic acid was injected into tail vein first,and then 2 mg/kg lipopolysaccharide was administered four hours later.After model rats sacrificed,the pathological changes of lung were observed,and lung wet/dry weight ratio,protein content,and the ratio of neutrophiles in brochoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were calculated.In addition,the expression of Fas,FasL protein and apoptosis were evaluated by immunohistochemical studies and TUNEL technique.Results The acute lung injury rat model was successfully induced by"two hits".The gross and micrographic injury of lung was milder in RSM treatment rats than in model rats.The W/D ratio,protein contents and the ratio of neutrophiles in BALF were also markedly reduced in comparison with model rats,while the expression of Fas and Fasl,and the apoptosis index in model rats were significantly increased compared with other two groups.Furthermore,it showed a positive correlation between the expression of Fas,FasL,and the number of cell with apoptosis.Conclusions RSM shows a protective effect on ALT rats caused by"two hits"likely reaulted from inhibiting the expressions of Fas and Fasl,which are associated with the cell apoptosis of lung tissue.