Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the protective effects and specific mechanisms of lugrandoside (LG) on lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). LG is a novel phenylpropanoid glycoside with many biological properties, isolated from the culinary leaves of Digitalis lutea L. and Digitalis grandiflora Miller. The primary indicators to assess the lung injury were infiltration of inflammatory cells; pulmonary edema; expression of proinflammatory cytokines, cyclo-oxygenase 2, and intracellular adhesion molecule 1; activation of nuclear factor-κB pathways; and cellular apoptosis. The results showed that LG evidently alleviated the inflammatory response, decreased the apoptosis of alveolar macrophages, and improved the lung injury in mice with LPS-induced ARDS. In conclusion, LG improved LPS-induced ARDS by anti-inflammation and anti-apoptosis and might be a promising pharmacological therapy for ARDS.