Protective Effect of Resveratrol on Acute Lung Injury Induced by Lipopolysaccharide in Mice

Resveratrol, a phytoalexin found in a range of plant products, may exert a variety of pharmacological activities. In this study, we investigated the effect of resveratrol on acute lung injury (ALI) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vivo, and we found that the pretreatment with resveratrol can effectively protect mice against LPS-induced ALI. Mice were pretreated with 1 mg/kg resveratrol for 3 days before challenging with a dose of 15 mg/kg LPS. The histological result showed that resveratrol can suppress the edema, inflammatory cell infiltration, and alveolar structure damage of lungs in ALI mice, and a decrease in the lung W/D ratio was also observed in mice with resveratrol pretreatment. Additionally, resveratrol markedly decreased the production of inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1 beta and MIP-1 alpha and prevented the release of nitric oxide (NO) through inhibiting the expression of inducible NO synthase in lung tissues. Furthermore, the pretreatment with resveratrol suppressed the nuclear translocation of NF-kappa B in lung tissues, which may be partly responsible for its effect on the ALI. In conclusion, the results presented here may suggest resveratrol as a potential therapeutic agent for treating ALI in the future. Anat Rec, 294:527-532, 2011. (C) 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.