Jujuboside B post-treatment attenuates PM-induced lung injury in mice.

Fine particulate matter (PM) is an air pollutant that causes severe lung injury. We investigated the effects of Jujuboside B (JB), a component of Zizyphi Spinosi Semen, on lung toxicity caused by PM, and we identified the mechanism of its protective effect. Lung injury in an animal model was induced by intratracheal administration of a PM suspension. After 2 days of PM pretreatment, mice were administered JB via the tail vein three times over a 2-day period. JB significantly reduced the histological lung damage as well as the lung wet/dry weight ratio. JB also considerably reduced PM-induced autophagy dysfunction, apoptosis, inflammatory cytokine levels, and the number of PM-induced lymphocytes in the bronchial alveolar fluid. We conclude that by regulating TLR2, 4-MyD88, and mTOR-autophagy pathways, JB exerts a protective effect on lung injury. Thus, JB can be used as a potential therapeutic agent for PM-induced lung damage.