Objective: To observe the effects of the volatile oil

decoction including oil and decoction without oil of the compatibility of Schizonepetae Herba and Saposhnikoviae Radix on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in mice

and further reveal the anti-inflammatory effect and material basis of the compatibility. Method: The ALI model was established by intraperitoneal injection of LPS (5 mg·kg-1) in mice. Except that dexamethasone group's mice were given the drugs once time by intraperitoneal injection before experiment

other groups' mice were given drugs by intragastric administration once a day for 5 days.Then

the model was established after 30 minutes of the last administration.Six hours after LPS injection

the blood

serum

bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF) and lung tissue samples of mice were collected. White blood cell(WBC) count of blood

lung index

the ratio of wet lung to dry lung weight (W/D)

myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in lung tissue

total protein concentration in BALF

and the level of interleukin 6 (IL-6)

interleukin 10(IL-10) and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) in serum were measured respectively. Result: The volatile oil(45.19 μL·kg-1)

decoction including oil(6.67 g·kg-1

including oil 20 μL)of the compatibility significantly decreased the white blood cell(WBC) count

lymphocyte(LY) count

as well as decreased the lung index

the value of W/D

MPO activity and MDA content in lung tissue and the level of IL-10 and TNF-α in serum.Decoction without oil(6.67 g·kg-1)of the compatibility significantly decreased the WBC count

LY count and the value of W/D

MDA content in lung tissue.The volatile oil also decreased the level of IL-6 in serum. Conclusion: The volatile oil

decoction including oil of the compatibility of Herba Schizonepetae and Saposhntkoviae Radix show a protection action against the inflammatory pathological changes of lung tissue in ALI mice

which indicates that they have obvious anti-inflammatory action and the mechanisms may be related to anti-oxidation and inhibiting the release of inflammation cytokines.The volatile oil part maybe the important material basis of the compatibility for expressing anti-inflammatory effects.