Effect of bovine lactoferrin as a novel therapeutic agent in a rat model of sepsis-induced acute lung injury

Sepsis is a serious clinical condition resulting from severe infection. High rates of mortality and tissue damage have been reported in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with sepsis. Bovine lactoferrin (BLF) is a well-known 80-kDa glycoprotein in the transferrin family that inhibits sepsis in low-birth-weight neonates. The present study investigated the protective effects of BLF in a rat model of sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI). The wet/dry ratio, lipid peroxidation, antioxidant markers, total protein, total cell count, inflammatory markers and myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels were assessed. Histopathological analysis was also carried out. BLF treatment reduced the wet/dry ratio of lung tissue by 30.7% and 61.3%, and lipid peroxidation by 22.3% and 67%, at concentrations of 100 and 200 mg/kg, respectively. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (Gpx) and catalase were increased by more than 50% under treatment with 200 mg/kg BLF. Inflammatory markers, neutrophils, lymphocytes and total cell count were reduced by more than 50% under treatment with 200 mg/kg BLF. BLF treatment significantly reduced MPO activity, by 28.2% and 74.3%, at concentrations of 100 and 200 mg/kg, respectively. Neutrophilic infiltration and edema were observed in control rats. However, BLF treatment restored intestinal microvilli to the normal range and reduced inflammatory cell invasion. Collectively, these results suggest that BLF is an effective therapeutic agent against sepsis-induced ALI.