Objective To explore the therapeutic effect of Qingfei Touxie Decoction on Mycoplasma Pneumonia (MPP) mice and its mechanism.
Method 40 male SPF BALB/c mice were randomly divided into control group, model group, Qingfei Touxie Decoction low, medium and high dose groups, each with 8 mice. A mouse model of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia was established by nasal drip infusion of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP). The mice in the model group were given normal saline. A daily dose of 800 mg/kg body weight was administered with Qingfei Touxie Decoction suspension. After two weeks of treatment, the mouse lung tissue index was calculated; HE staining was used to detect lung tissue pathological changes; TUNEL was used to detect cell apoptosis in the mouse lung; ELISA was used to detect IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL in the alveolar lavage fluid of each mouse -6, IL-18 content; qPCR detection of NLRP3, MyD88 and NF-κB mRNA expression in lung tissue; Western Blot detection of NLRP3, MyD88 and p-NF-κB protein expression in lung tissue.
Results Qingfei Touxie Decoction significantly reduced the lung index of MPP mice, reduced lung pathological damage and cell apoptosis rate (P<0.05); Qingfei Touxie Decoction could also significantly reduce IL-1β and TNF-α in alveolar lavage fluid , IL-6, IL-18 levels (P<0.05); and reduced NLRP3, MyD88 and NF-κB mRNA and protein expression (P<0.05).
Conclusion Qingfei Touxie Decoction improves lung injury in mice with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia. Its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome and NF-κB signaling pathway.