Bark extract of Bathysa cuspidata attenuates extra-pulmonary acute lung injury induced by paraquat and reduces mortality in rats

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of the bark extract of Bathysa cuspidata on paraquat (PQ)-induced extra-pulmonary acute lung injury (ALI) and mortality in rats. ALI was induced with a single dose of PQ (30 mg/kg, i.p.), and animals were treated with B. cuspidata extract (200 and 400 mg/kg). Analyses were conducted of survival, cell migration, lung oedema, malondialdehyde, proteins carbonyls, catalase, superoxide dismutase, histopathology and the stereology of lung tissue. Rats exposed to PQ and treated with 200 and 400 mg of the extract presented lower mortality (20% and 30%), compared with PQ alone group (50%). Furthermore, lung oedema, septal thickening, alveolar collapse, haemorrhage, cell migration, malondialdehyde and proteins carbonyl levels decreased, and catalase and superoxide dismutase activity were maintained. These results show that the bark extract of B. cuspidata reduced PQ-induced extra-pulmonary ALI and mortality in rats and suggest that these effects may be associated with the inhibition of oxidative damage.

Figure 1

Effects of treatment with bark extract of Bathysa cuspidata (BCE 200 and 400 mg/kg, wt.) on survival of Wistar rats with extra-pulmonary acute lung injury induced by a single dose of paraquat (PQ, 30 mg/kg, wt, i.p). SAL, saline; PQ, paraquat; VE, vehicle (DMSO). There was significant reduction in mortality in the groups intoxicated and treated with both doses of the extract at the end of the experiment (P < 0.01), Log-rank (Mantel–Cox) test.

Figure 2

Effects of treatment with bark extract of Bathysa cuspidata (BCE 200 and 400 mg/kg, wt.) on index of lung edema determined by calculating the wet/dry weight ratio of lung tissue of Wistar rats with extrapulmonary acute lung injury induced by a single dose of paraquat (PQ, 30 mg/kg, wt, i.p). SAL, saline; PQ, paraquat; VE, vehicle (DMSO). The data are expressed as means ± SD. a,b,c Different letters in columns indicate statistical difference between the groups (P < 0.05) and groups that have some common letter do not differ statistically, anova followed by Tukey’s test.

Figure 3

Effects of treatment with bark extract of Bathysa cuspidata (BCE 200 and 400 mg/kg, wt.) on protein carbonyls and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in lung tissue of Wistar rats with extra-pulmonary acute lung injury induced by a single dose of paraquat (PQ, 30 mg/kg, wt, i.p). SAL, saline; PQ, paraquat; VE, vehicle (DMSO). The data are expressed as means ± SD. a,b,c Different letters in columns indicate statistical difference between the groups (P < 0.05) and groups that have some common letter do not differ statistically, anova followed by Tukey’s test.

Figure 4

Effects of treatment with bark extract of Bathysa cuspidata (BCE 200 and 400 mg/kg, wt.) on superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity in lung tissue of Wistar rats with extra-pulmonary acute lung injury induced by a single dose of paraquat (PQ, 30 mg/kg, wt, i.p). SAL, saline; PQ, paraquat; VE, vehicle (DMSO). The data are expressed as means ± SD. a,b,c Different letters in columns indicate statistical difference between the groups (P < 0.05) and groups that have some common letter do not differ statistically, anova followed by Tukey’s test.

Figure 5

Representative photomicrographs of histological section of the lung of Wistar rats stained with hematoxylin and phloxine and observed under light microscope (bar = 150 μm). Extra-pulmonary acute lung injury was induced by a single dose of paraquat (PQ, 30 mg/kg, wt, i.p.) and the animals were treated with extract of Bathysa cuspidata (BCE 200 and 400 mg/kg, wt.) diluted in vehicle DMSO (VE). Control animals received saline (SAL), paraquat (PQ); vehicle DMSO (VE) or BCE 400 mg/kg alone.