SummaryAcute lung injury (ALI) from a variety of clinical disorders, characterized by diffuse inflammation, is a cause of acute respiratory failure that develops in patients of all ages. Previous studies reported that wogonin, a flavonoid-like chemical compound which was found in Scutellaria baicalensis, has anti-inflammatory effects in several inflammation models, but not in ALI. Here, the in vivo protective effect of wogonin in the amelioration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) -induced lung injury and inflammation was assessed. In addition, the in vitro effects and mechanisms of wogonin were studied in the mouse macrophage cell lines Ana-1 and RAW264.7. In vivo results indicated that wogonin attenuated LPS-induced histological alterations. Peripheral blood leucocytes decreased in the LPSinduced group, which was ameliorated by wogonin. In addition, wogonin inhibited the production of several inflammatory cytokines, including tumour necrosis factor-a, interleukin-1b (IL-1b) and IL-6, in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung tissues after LPS challenge, while the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor c (PPARc) inhibitor GW9662 reversed these effects. In vitro results indicated that wogonin significantly decreased the secretion of IL-6, IL-1b and tumour necrosis factor-a in Ana-1 and RAW264.7 cells, which was suppressed by transfection of PPARc small interfering RNA and GW9662 treatment. Moreover, wogonin activated PPARc, induced PPARc-mediated attenuation of the nuclear translocation and the DNA-binding activity of nuclear factor-jB in vivo and in vitro. In conclusion, all of these results showed that wogonin may serve as a promising agent for the attenuation of ALI-associated inflammation and pathology by regulating the PPARc-involved nuclear factorjB pathway.