The impact of Astragaloside IV on the inflammatory response and gut microbiota in cases of acute lung injury is examined through the utilization of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway

by Cheng Luo, Yuanhang Ye, Anqi Lv, Wanzhao Zuo, Yi Yang, Cheng Jiang, Jia Ke

Objectives

Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) is a natural triterpenoid saponin compound with a variety of pharmacological effects, and several studies have clarified its anti-inflammatory effects, which may make it an effective alternative treatment against inflammation. In the study, we aimed to investigate whether AS-IV could attenuate the inflammatory response to acute lung injury and its mechanisms.

Methods

Different doses of AS-IV (20mg·kg^-1, 40mg·kg^-1, and 80mg·kg^-1) were administered to the ALI rat model, followed by collection of serum and broncho alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) for examination of the inflammatory response, and HE staining of the lung and colon tissues, and interpretation of the potential molecular mechanisms by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), Western blotting (WB). In addition, fecal samples from ALI rats were collected and analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing.

Results

AS-IV decreased the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in serum and BALF of mice with Acute lung injury (ALI). Lung and colon histopathology confirmed that AS-IV alleviated inflammatory infiltration, tissue edema, and structural changes. qRT-PCR and WB showed that AS-IV mainly improved inflammation by inhibiting the expression of PI3K, AKT and mTOR mRNA, and improved the disorder of intestinal microflora by increasing the number of beneficial bacteria and reducing the number of harmful bacteria.

Conclusion

AS-IV reduces the expression of inflammatory factors by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and optimizes the composition of the gut microflora in AIL rats.