The alleviative effects of metformin for lipopolysaccharide- induced acute lung injury rat model and its underlying mechanism

For patients who have sepsis, acute lung injury (ALI) causes most of death. Metformin (Met) is an antihyperglycemic agent and it has extensive pharmacological properties. This study aimed to analyze the influence of Met on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) -induced ALI. Met (1, 2, and 4 mg/kg) were injected and LPS was injected 30 min later. The data suggested Met can reduce release of inflammatory cytokines and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) protein expression, reduce lung wet/dry ratio, and significantly improve LPS-induced lung destruction during ALI. In addition, Met inhibits LPS-induced neutrophil and macrophage infiltration, reduces MPO activity, and promotes AMPK-alpha 1 expression in lung tissues. Our data suggested that metformin alleviates capillary injury during ALI via AMPK-alpha 1. (C) 2017 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.