The methanol extract of Guettarda speciosa Linn. Ameliorates acute lung injury in mice

Background Guettarda speciosa is mainly found in tropical areas in Asia. Although G. speciosa is traditionally used to treat some of the inflammatory disorders, the experimental evidence supporting the anti-inflammatory effect of G. speciosa is limited. Here, we sought to obtain evidence that G. speciosa has anti-inflammatory activity using an acute lung injury (ALI) mouse model and to explore possible underlying mechanisms for the activity. Methods The methanol extract of G. speciosa Linn. (MGS) was fingerprinted by HPLC. Cytotoxicity was determined by MTT and flow cytometer. As for an ALI mouse model, C57BL/6 mice received an intratracheal (i.t.) injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The effects of MGS on lung inflammation in the ALI mice were assessed by differential cell counting and FACS of inflammatory cells and hematoxylin and eosin staining of lung tissue. Proteins were analyzed by immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting, and gene expression was by real-time qPCR. Neutrophil elastase activity was measured by ELISA. Results MGS did not cause metabolic disarray or produce reactive oxygen species that could induce cytotoxicity. Similar to ALI patients, C57BL/6 mice that received an i.t. LPS developed a high level of neutrophils, increased pro-inflammatory cytokines, and inflicted tissue damage in the lung, which was suppressed by i.t. MGS administered at 2 h after LPS. Mechanistically, MGS activated Nrf2, which was related to MGS interrupting the ubiquitin-dependent degradation of Nrf2. MGS suppressed the nuclear localization of NF-κB induced by LPS, suggesting the inhibition of NF-κB activity. Furthermore, MGS inhibited the enzymatic activity of neutrophil elastase. Conclusion MGS could suppress lung inflammation in an ALI mouse model, the effect of which could be attributed to multiple mechanisms, including the activation of Nrf2 and the suppression of NF-κB and neutrophil elastase enzymatic activity by MGS.