ABSTRACT
Total flavonoids isolated from Radix Tetrastigmae (RTFs) possess immunomodulatory activity, particularly on inflammation. In mice with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)induced acute lung injury (ALI), treatment with RTFs at 40, 80 and 160 mg/kg significantly reduced leukocyte infiltration, improved histopathological changes in lung tissues and decreased the LPSinduced production of several inflammatory mediators in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), which included the chemotatic factors, granulocyte colonystimulating factor, monocyte inflammatory protein1α and Blymphocyte colony inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)1ß, IL6, IL12p40 and tumor necrosis factorα, in a dosedependent manner. In addition, the expression of the Tolllike receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation factor2 (MD2) compound, the phosphorylation of p38 mitogenactivated protein kinase (p38MAPK), cJun Nterminal kinase (JNK) and nuclear transcription factorκB (NFκB), in addition to the DNA binding activity of NFκB p65 in lung tissues, were all attenuated following RTF treatment. However, RTF treatment had no effect on extracellular signalregulated kinase (ERK). In conclusion, RTFs contributed to the regulation of LPSinduced ALI through the TLR4/MD-2-mediated NFκB, JNK and p38MAPK pathways. This may be a potential therapeutic option for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.