Cannabidiol protects lung against inflammation and apoptosis in a rat model of blunt chest trauma via Bax/Bcl-2/Cas-9 signaling pathway.

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the hypothesis that cannabidiol (CBD), with known anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects, would reduce the severity of acute lung injury in pulmonary contusion following blunt chest trauma.

Methods: Forty male Wistar Albino rats were randomly divided into four groups, each consisting of 10 rats: Sham, Trauma, Trauma + CBD, and CBD. The rats were treated with a single dose of 5 mg/kg CBD intraperitoneally 30 min before trauma. Then, the trauma were exposed to a weight of 200 g and a height of 1 m. After sacrifice, the lung tissues were removed for histopathological, immunohistochemical, biochemical, and genetic analyses.

Results: Pulmonary injury of trauma group led to increases in tumor necrosis factor α, caspase-3, caspase-9, Bcl-2-associated X protein expressions, total oxidant status, oxidative stress index levels, and decreases in B-cell lymphoma expression and total antioxidant levels. Additionally, inflammatory cell infiltration, damage-related emphysema, pronounced hyperemia, and increased septal tissue thickness were observed histopathologically. CBD treatment ameliorated all these findings.

Conclusion: CBD reduces lung damage in lung contusions caused by blunt chest trauma through its anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects. More detailed studies investigating other important intracellular pathways are needed.