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Abstract. Evidence suggests that an imbalance between oxidation and antioxidation is involved in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS). Activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has been shown to inhibit the occurrence of ALI/ARDS. However, it is unknown whether activation of AMPK benefits ALI/ARDS by restoration of the oxidant and antioxidant balance, and which mechanisms are responsible for this process. The present study aimed to address these issues. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced pronounced pathological changes of ALI in mice; these were accompanied by elevated production of malondialdehyde (MDA) and decreased activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) compared with control mice. Prior treatment of mice with the AMPK agonist metformin significantly suppressed the LPS-induced development of ALI, reduced the elevation of MDA and increased the activity of SOD. Further analysis indicated that activation of AMPK also stimulated the protein expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PGC1α) and superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1). This study suggests that activation of AMPK by metformin inhibits oxidative stress by upregulation of PGC1α and SOD1, thereby suppressing the development of ALI/ARDS, and has potential value in the clinical treatment of such conditions.

Aim: Rosiglitazone is one of the specific PPARγ agonists showing potential therapeutic effects in asthma. Though PPARγ activation was considered protective in inhibiting airway inflammation and remodeling in asthma, the specific mechanisms are still unclear. This study was aimed to investigate whether heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) related pathways were involved in rosiglitazone-activated PPARγ signaling in asthma treatment. Methods: Asthma was induced in mice by multiple exposures to ovalbumin (OVA) in 8 weeks. Prior to every OVA challenge, the mice received rosiglitazone (5 mg/kg, po). After the mice were sacrificed, the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), blood samples and lungs were collected for analyses. The activities of HO-1, MMP-2 and MMP-9 in airway tissue were assessed, and the expression of PPARγ, HO-1 and p21 proteins was also examined. Results: Rosiglitazone administration significantly attenuated airway inflammation and remodeling in mice with OVA-induced asthma, which were evidenced by decreased counts of total cells, eosinophils and neutrophils, and decreased levels of IL-5 and IL-13 in BALF, and by decreased airway smooth muscle layer thickness and reduced airway collagen deposition. Furthermore, rosiglitazone administration significantly increased PPARγ, HO-1 and p21 expression and HO-1 activity, decreased MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities in airway tissue. All the therapeutic effects of rosiglitazone were significantly impaired by co-administration of the HO-1 inhibitor ZnPP. Conclusion: Rosiglitazone effectively attenuates airway inflammation and remodeling in OVA-induced asthma of mice by activating PPARγ/HO-1 signaling pathway.

Developing efficient and robust catalysts to replace Pt group metals for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is conducive to achieve highly efficient energy conversion. Here, we develop a general ion exchange...