Xiaoxianxiong Decoction Attenuates LPS-Induced Pneumonia in Mice by Inhibiting Inflammatory Response Through Activation of SIRT1.

Xiaoxianxiong decoction (XXXD) is a widely used clinical prescription effective in the treatment of pneumonia. The study investigates the efficacy and mechanism of XXXD in pneumonia. In the study, an in vivo pneumonia model was induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in mice, and an in vitro pneumonia model was induced by LPS in A549 cells. The study assessed the potential therapeutic effect of XXXD by detecting inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, lung wet/dry weight ratio, and histology. ELISA kits were used to detect the release of inflammatory factors. Apoptosis was identified by TUNEL labeling and flow cytometry, and c-caspase3/caspase3 expression was analyzed by Western Blot. SIRT1 expression was detected by immunofluorescence labeling, while Western blotting measured the expression levels of SIRT1 and its downstream proteins. Finally, the SIRT1 inhibitor EX527 was used in LPS-induced mice, and a rescue assay was performed in LPS-induced A549 cells by interfering with SIRT1 to investigate the regulatory mechanism of XXXD. XXXD greatly reduced the effect of LPS on apoptosis, significantly decreased the expression of p66shc and p-NF-κB/NF-κB downstream of SIRT1, and also significantly increased the expression of SIRT1. Interestingly, the anti-inflammatory effect of XXXD on the pneumonia model disappeared after interfering with SIRT1. XXXD protects against LPS-induced pneumonia by inhibiting the inflammatory response through activating SIRT1, offering a fresh approach to the creation of focused pneumonia treatment plans.