Protective effect of sesamol on the pulmonary inflammatory response and lung injury in endotoxemic rats.

We investigated the effect of sesamol on systemic lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lung inflammation in rats. Sesamol decreased lung edema and injury, significantly decreased LPS-induced cell counts, protein concentration, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, and nitrite levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and decreased the TNF-alpha, nitrite, and inducible nitric oxide synthase protein expression in lung tissue. Further, sesamol significantly inhibited LPS-induced TNF-alpha, nitrite, inducible nitric oxide synthase expression, and nuclear factor-kappaB activation levels in primary alveolar macrophages. We hypothesize that sesamol attenuates systemic LPS-induced lung inflammation by inhibiting the alveolar macrophage inflammatory response in rats.