Therapeutic effect of Mahaenggamseok-tang on neutrophilic lung inflammation is associated with NF-κB suppression and Nrf2 activation.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Mahaenggamseok-tang (MHGST), an herbal formula in traditional Asian medicine, has been used to treat patients with various pulmonary diseases including common cold and influenza. However, the potential therapeutic effect of MHGST on acute lung injury (ALI), a leading cause of death worldwide, and the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of MHGST remained less understood.

Materials And Methods: The methanol extract of MHGST was prepared and fingerprinted by HPLC. For the induction of ALI, C57BL/6 mice (n=5/group) received a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of LPS. Referring to the dose for patients, two different amounts of MHGST were delivered in an aerosol to mouse lungs via trachea 2h after the i.p. LPS administration. Lung histology, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and the expression of inflammatory and Nrf2-dependent genes were analyzed to determine the effect of MHGST on lung inflammation. For mechanistic studies, western blotting and semi-quantitative RT-PCR were conducted using RAW 264.7 cells.

Results: When administered 2h after the onset of ALI, MHGST relieved lung pathology characteristic to ALI, with decreases of neutrophil infiltration and MPO activity. While suppressing the expression of inflammatory genes, MHGST increased the expression of Nrf2-dependent genes in ALI mouse lungs. Concordantly, MHGST activated Nrf2 activity while suppressing NF-κB in RAW 264.7 cells.

Conclusion: MHGST suppressed neutrophilic lung inflammation, a hallmark of ALI, which was associated with the activation of anti-inflammatory Nrf2 and the suppression of pro-inflammatory NF-κB. Our results suggest that MHGST has a therapeutic potential against ALI.