Effect of Melilotus suaveolens extract on pulmonary microvascular permeability by downregulating vascular endothelial growth factor expression in rats with sepsis

Liu,Ming‑Wei; Su,Mei‑Xian; Zhang,Wei; Wang,Yun   Hui; Qin,Lan‑Fang; Liu,Xu; Tian,Mao‑Li; Qian,Chuan‑Yun

doi:10.3892/mmr.2015.3146

Effect of Melilotus suaveolens extract on pulmonary microvascular permeability by downregulating vascular endothelial growth factor expression in rats with sepsis

Authors:
- Ming‑Wei Liu
- Mei‑Xian Su
- Wei Zhang
- Yun Hui Wang
- Lan‑Fang Qin
- Xu Liu
- Mao‑Li Tian
- Chuan‑Yun Qian
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Affiliations: Department of Emergency, The First Hospital Affiliated To Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan 650032, P.R. China, Surgical Intensive Care Unit, The Second Hospital Affiliated To Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan 650106, P.R. China, Department of Infectious Diseases, Yan'an Hospital Affiliated To Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan 650051, P.R. China
Published online on: January 7, 2015 https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2015.3146
Pages: 3308-3316
Copyright: © Liu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License [CC BY_NC 3.0].

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Abstract

A typical indicator of sepsis is the development of progressive subcutaneous and body‑cavity edema, which is caused by the breakdown of endothelial barrier function, leading to a marked increase in vascular permeability. Microvascular leakage predisposes to microvascular thrombosis, breakdown of microcirculatory flow and organ failure, which are common events preceding mortality in patients with severe sepsis. Melilotus suaveolens (M. suaveolens) is a Traditional Tibetan Medicine. Previous pharmacological studies have demonstrated that an ethanolic extract of M. suaveolens has powerful anti‑inflammatory activity and leads to an improvement in capillary permeability. However, the mechanisms underlying its pharmacological activity remain elusive. The present study aimed to assess the impact of M. suaveolens extract tablets on pulmonary vascular permeability, and their effect on regulating lung inflammation and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the lung tissue of rats with sepsis. A cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) sepsis model was established for both the control and treatment groups. ~2 h prior to surgery, 25 mg/kg of M. suaveolens extract tablet was administered to the treatment group. Polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses were used to assess the expression of nuclear factor (NF)‑κB and VEGF in the lung tissue, and ELISA was applied to detect changes in serum tumor necrosis factor‑α as well as interleukins (IL) ‑1, ‑4, ‑6, and ‑10. The lung permeability, wet/dry weight ratio and lung pathology were determined. The results demonstrated that in the lung tissue of CLP‑rats with sepsis, M. suaveolens extract inhibited the expression of NF‑κB, reduced the inflammatory response and blocked the expression of VEGF, and thus significantly decreased lung microvascular permeability. The effects of M. Suaveolens extract may be of potential use in the treatment of CLP‑mediated lung microvascular permeability.

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