Abelmoschus esculentus Seed Ethanol Extract Protects Against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Lung Injury in Rats through Anti-Inflammatory Properties.

Background: Acute lung injury is respiratory failure due to various causes. Increased inflammatory and oxidative processes are recognized to play an essential role in the etiology of ARDS. Abelmoschus esculentus is an herbal product used to treat various diseases due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. We aimed to investigate whether Abelmoschus esculentus has an effect on acute lung injury.

Materials and methods: In this experimental study, we used the ethanol extract of Abelmoschus esculentus seed. It divided forty male Wistar rats into five equal groups: 1) control, 2) Abelmoschus esculentus, 3) lipopolysaccharide, 4) lipopolysaccharide+Abelmoschus esculentus, and 5) lipopolysaccharide+Abelmoschus esculentus+dexamethasone groups.

Results: In the lipopolysaccharide group, native thiol, total thiol, IL-10, and IFN-γ levels significantly changed. Abelmoschus esculentus was effective when used with dexamethasone in increasing native thiol and total thiol values (p=0.008 and p=0.004, respectively). On the other hand, when Abelmoschus esculentus was used alone, it significantly increased IL-10 levels and decreased IFN-γ levels in the lipopolysaccharide group (p=0.025 and p<0.001, respectively). Additionally, improvements were noted in histological findings of alveolar congestion (p=0.006), intra-alveolar hemorrhage (p=0.006), and intra-alveolar macrophages (p=0.001).

Conclusion: Abelmoschus esculentus, with its anti-inflammatory effect, may represent a new potential for treating acute lung injury.