THE PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF LIGUSTRAZINE ON LUNG OF ONE LUNG VENTILATION RATS IN NF-ΚB RELATED INFLAMMATORY FACTOR SIGNALING PATHWAY

Weizhong Pan^#, Liying Zhang^#, Tao Li, Jin Jin, Jiahai Ma^*

Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University, Yantai, Shandong 264000, P.R. China

Background: To explore the anti-inflammatory effects of ligustrazine in one lung ventilation (OLV) rats model and the possible interactions between ligustrazine and NF-κB in mechanical ventilation-induced lung injury. 

Materials and methods: Thirty Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly allocated into 5 groups consisting of 6 animals each: sham, OLV-2h, OLV-3h, ligustrazine (LIG)-2h, LIG-3h. Respiratory index (RI) and PaO₂ /FiO₂ (P/F) were calculated. Lung tissue was taken and lung wet/dry weight ratio (W/D) was detected. Ventilated lung tissues were examined histopathologically. Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8 were determined. NF-κB-p65 and IκBα activities were analyzed by western blot and RT-PCR in lung tissues. 

Results: OLV induced decreased physiological parameters (RI, P/F, and W/D) (P<0.05). Histologically, injury was greater in groups with preoperative treatment of ligustrazine than OLV groups (P<0.05). Proinflammatory cytokines were increased in OLV rats but remained no change in ligustrazine-treated rats at the end of both 2 h and 3 h of OLV. Compared with OLV groups, proinflammatory cytokines were decreased in LIG groups (P<0.05). Pretreatment with ligustrazine inhibited OLV-induced IκBα degradation and NF-κB-65 phosphorylation at protein and mRNA level when compared with non-treated groups (P<0.05).

Conclusions: Pre-operative treatment with ligustrazine reduces biochemical and histopathologic injuries occurred during OLV. Our findings suggest that ligustrazine may have therapeutic potential in improving OLV outcome by regulating the NF-κB pathway.