Protective effects of tenuigenin on Staphylococcus aureus-induced pneumonia in mice

  • Microb Pathog. 2017 Sep;110:385-389. doi: 10.1016/j.micpath.2017.07.023.
Bin Yu  1 ,  Jiutao Qiao  2 ,  Yongbin Shen  3 ,  Lianyong Li  4
Affiliations
  • 1. Department of Pediatrics, The First Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
  • 2. Department of Orthopedics, The Second Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
  • 3. Department of Vascular Surgery, The Second Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
  • 4. Department of Pediatric Surgery, The Second Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 28711507 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2017.07.023
Abstract

Pneumonia is the leading cause of death in infants and young children. Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus) is one of the most important bacteria that leads to pneumonia. Tenuigenin (TGN), a major active component isolated from the root of the Chinese herb Polygala tenuifolia, has been known to have anti-inflammatory effect. In this study, we aimed to investigate the protective effects of TGN on S.aureus-induced pneumonia in mice. The results showed that TGN significantly attenuated S.aureus-induced lung histopathological changes. TGN also inhibited lung wet/dry (W/D) ratio, and inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β production. Furthermore, S.aureus-induced NF-κB activation was significantly inhibited by the treatment of TGN. In conclusion, the results of this study showed that TGN protected against S.aureus-induced pneumonia by inhibiting NF-κB activation. TGN might be a potential agent in the treatment of pneumonia induced by S.aureus.

Keywords
NF-κB; Pneumonia; Staphylococcus aureus; Tenuigenin.
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