Acetylharpagide Protects Mice from -Induced Acute Lung Injury by Inhibiting NF-κB Signaling Pathway.

()-induced acute lung injury (ALI) is a serious disease that has a high risk of death among infants and teenagers. Acetylharpagide, a natural compound of Thunb. (family Labiatae), has been found to have anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral effects. This study investigates the therapeutic effects of acetylharpagide on -induced ALI in mice. Here, we found that acetylharpagide alleviated -induced lung pathological morphology damage, protected the pulmonary blood-gas barrier and improved the survival of -infected mice. Furthermore, -induced myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity of lung homogenate and pro-inflammatory factors in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid were suppressed by acetylharpagide. Mechanically, acetylharpagide inhibited the interaction between polyubiquitinated receptor interacting protein 1 (RIP1) and NF-κB essential modulator (NEMO), thereby suppressing NF-κB activity. In summary, these results show that acetylharpagide protects mice from -induced ALI by suppressing the NF-κB signaling pathway. Acetylharpagide is expected to become a potential treatment for -induced ALI.