Vitex agnus-castus safeguards the lung against lipopolysaccharide-induced toxicity in mice

Vitex agnus-castus (VAC, Verbenaceae) is widely used in Chinese traditional medicine as an antiinflammatory agent. This study aimed to explore the efficacy of the VAC extract to protect against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury. The results have shown that VAC had a potent protective activity against LPS-induced acute lung damage. It significantly decreased pulmonary edema as there was a significant decrease in lung wet/dry ratio and in protein content. VAC also decreased the lactate dehydrogenase's activity in the bronchoalveolar fluid. VAC ameliorated LPS-induced inflammatory cells infiltration into the lung tissue and reversed the histopathological lesions of the lung. Furthermore, VAC counteracted LPS-induced oxidative stress as it attenuated the lipid peroxidation marker, malondialdehyde, in the lung. VAC increased the antioxidant activity as evident by elevated superoxide dismutase activity and increased reduced glutathione content in the lung tissue. Collectively, VAC has a protective activity against LPS-induced acute lung damage through its antioxidant potential.