Lifei Qingchang Tang attenuates acute lung injury via the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways

Acute lung injury (ALI) has high morbidity and mortality. Lifei Qingchang Tang (LFQCT), a traditional Chinese medicine, has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties but its mechanism in ALI remains unclear. In vitro, LFQCT reduced intracellular Ca²⁺, ROS, and NO in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells, suppressed pro-inflammatory mediators (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6), iNOS, and COX-2, and blocked phosphorylation of IKK-α/β, p65, ERK1/2, JNK1/2, and p38. It also inhibited p65 activation and nuclear translocation. In vivo, LFQCT attenuated ALI in mice by reducing cytokines in serum, BALF, and lung tissues, improving pulmonary function and survival rates, being a potential new treatment.