Objective:To determine the protective effect of Lycium chinense water extract (LCM) on acute lung injury(ALI) induced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS). Method: The BABL/c mice were randomly allocated into control group

LPS model group

dexamethasone (2 mg · kg-1) group

LCM (10 g · kg-1)

and LCM (20 g · kg-1) group by intraperitoneal injection. The bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples were analyzed for the concentration of numbers of neutrophilic

superoxide dismutase (SOD)

malondi aldehyde (MDA)

interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)

and the lung samples were taken for histologic evaluation and for determination of wet-to-dry(W/D) lung weight

the protein levels of SOD and MDA were detected by Western blot analysis. Result: Pretreatment with LCM prior to the administration of intratracheal LPS significantly induced a decrease in lung wet weight/dry weight ratio

in total leukocyte number and neutrophil percent in the BALF

and in MDA activity of lung in dose-dependent manners

and in IL-6

the TNF-α in the BALF and MDA protein in lung and increased SOD protein in lung(P<0.01)

compared with model the group. At the same time

compared with the blank group

pretreatment with LCM also significantly improved the SOD activity(P<0.05) and decreased the MDA activity in lung (P<0.05). Conclusion: These results showed that anti-inflammatory effects of LCM against the LPS-induced ALI.