Craibiodendron Stellatum (Pierre) WW Sm. Extract Suppresses Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Lung Injury by Regulating Macrophage-Mediated Inflammation In Vivo and In Vitro.

Acute lung injury (ALI), primarily triggered by bacterial infection, occurs via intricate immune defense mechanisms within the lungs. This study aimed to investigate the potential of Craibiodendron stellatum (Pierre) WW Sm. extract (CSE) as an anti-inflammatory agent in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced C57BL/6 mouse ALI model and RAW 264.7 macrophages. Results showed that oral CSE administration significantly suppressed LPS-induced ALI symptoms, including hemorrhage in alveolar spaces, thickened alveolar walls, and inflammatory cell infiltration; it also inhibited the production of proinflammatory cytokines in the lungs. Additionally, oral CSE administration attenuated the LPS-induced iNOS expression in mouse lungs. CSE also inhibited the LPS-induced nuclear factor-kappa B signaling in RAW 264.7 cells. DCF-DA assay confirmed that CSE could reduce the LPS-induced reactive oxygen species production. Our findings suggested that CSE may be useful as a functional respiratory health material by regulating the inflammatory signaling pathway in alveolar macrophages in ALI induced by bacterial infections.