Black ginseng extract alleviates particulate matter-induced airway inflammation by suppressing the...

Black ginseng extract (BGE) is a processed form of ginseng used in East Asian medicine to treat inflammatory respiratory diseases and is known for its excellent bioavailability and pharmacological efficacy.

This study investigates the preventative effects and mechanisms of BGE against inflammatory lung damage caused by particulate matter (PM) in mouse alveolar macrophages (MH-S) and a mouse lung injury model.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and MH-S cell viability were assessed using DCFDA and the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, respectively. In Balb/c mice exposed to a combination of PM10 and diesel exhaust particles (PM/DEP), various cell types involved in immune cell infiltration were examined through Diff-Quik staining and flow cytometry. Lung histological changes were analyzed using hematoxylin and eosin, Masson's trichrome, and immunofluorescence staining. The molecular mechanism of BGE was investigated via Western blotting, caspase-1 activity assay, secretory/cleaved IL-1β ELISA, and real-time qPCR.

In PM2.5-stimulated MH-S cells, BGE inhibits inflammation and cellular damage by decreasing ROS levels involved in the NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis. In mice exposed to a PM/DEP, BGE reduces immune cell influx (mainly neutrophils), inflammatory cytokine expression, and abnormal histopathological changes. Notably, BGE administration decreases macrophage activation markers, such as F4/80 and IL-1α, in PM/DEP-exposed lungs. BGE also suppresses the activity of the NLRP3/caspase-1 pathway in mice's lungs.

BGE prevents inflammatory lung injury by decreasing ROS levels, thereby inactivating the NLRP3/caspase-1/pyroptosis pathway both in vitro and in vivo. This study highlights BGE's potential as a natural treatment for PM-induced lung inflammation.