OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of a combination of naloxone and methylprednisolone on nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) p65 expression in the lung tissue in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in rats.

METHODS

ALI models were reproduced by intratracheal instillation of LPS (3 mg/kg). Four hours after LPS instillation, rats were randomly divided into five groups: normal saline group, LPS group, methylprednisolone group, naloxone group (LPS+naloxone) and combined drug group (LPS+naloxone+methylprednisolone). The level of interleukin-8 (IL-8) in serum was measured by immunoassay. Meanwhile, the expression of NF-kappaB p65 in the lung tissue was determined with immunohistochemical staining.

RESULTS

Naloxone and methylprednisolone significantly reduced the LPS-induced increase in IL-8 concentrations in serum in vivo, and suppressed the activation of NF-kappaB p65 in the lung tissue.

CONCLUSION

NF-kappaB activation is involved in the LPS-induced ALI in rats. Combination of naloxone and methylprednisolone could suppress the increase of IL-8 content and NF-kappaB activation in the lung tissue of rat in vivo in our experiment.