Objective: To investigate the protective effect of puerarin on acute lung injury in rats. Method: Sixty Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal group

model group

dexamethasone group (3 mg · kg-1)

high-

medium-

low-dose (10

5

2.5 mg · kg-1) puerarin groups

with 10 rats in each group. Rats were intragastrically gavaged with drugs for 7 days. Normal group and model group were given normal saline. Thirty minutes after last gavage

the acute lung injury rat model was induced through intraperitoneal injection with 20% yeast suspension every 12 h for twice. After 24 h

lung tissues were removed and stained with HE for pathological observation. The wet and dry proportion

superoxide dismutase (SOD)

glutathione-peroxidase (GSH-Px) and malonaldehyde (MDA) in lung tissue were determined. Serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) contents were detected with ELISA method. The protein expression of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) was measured using Western blot. Result: Compared with model group

model group showed significant increases in wet and dry proportion of lung tissues

MDA

TNF-α

IL-6

NF-κB contents and decreases in SOD and GSH-Px levels (P<0.05

P<0.01). Compared with model group

puerarin groups showed significant decreases in wet and dry proportion of lung tissues

MDA

TNF-α

IL-6

NF-κB contents and increases in GSH-Px levels (P<0.05)

with alleviations in lung hemorrhage and cellular infiltration. Conclusion: The inflammatory response and pulmonary edema in lung tissues can be relieved in acute lung injury rats by puerarin intervention

andn its protective mechanism is associated with antioxidative stress by lowing TNF-α

IL-6

NF-κB levels.