Picroside II Protects Rat Lung and A549 Cell Against LPS-Induced Inflammation by the NF-κB Pathway

Picroside II is the main active ingredient in the root department of Chinese medicine Picrorhiza scrophulariiflora which has been proved to have beneficial effects on health, such as ameliorating the cerebral ischemia and protecting the liver. However, its effects on acute lung injury remain unclear. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of picroside II on acute lung injury in mice and the inflammation in A549 cells which are lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced. We evaluated the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1 (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in vivo and vitro by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Results showed picroside II significantly decreased the concentrations of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in cells and mice. In addition, Western blot and immunofluorescence analysis indicated that picroside II suppressed the activation of p65 NF-κB signaling pathway compared with LPS stimulation. In the acute lung injury model of mice, after picroside II treatment, the pathologic changes of lung tissues had been alleviated and lung wet/dry weight ratio was decreased. In summary, picroside II showed the promising effects of anti-inflammation in cells and animals.