The protective effect of atractylenolide I on systemic inflammation in the mouse model of sepsis created by cecal ligation and puncture

Context: Atractylenolide I (AT-I), an active compound isolated from Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz (Compositae), shows several pharmacological activities.Objective: Our present study is designed to investigate the protective effect of AT-I on systemic inflammation in the mouse model of sepsis created by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), and explore the possible mechanism.Materials and methods: Sepsis mouse model was established by CLP, and the tested dosages of AT-I were 10, 20, and 40mg/kg (ip). Pro-inflammatory cytokines in serum (TNF-, IL-1 and IL-6) were determined by the ELISA method; serum lipopolysaccharide (LPS) level was measured by the Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) test; white blood cells (WBC) were counted by Blood cell analyzer; contents of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transarninase (AST), creatinine (Cre), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in serum were determined by automatic biochemistry analyzer. For survival rate tests, CLP mice were observed within 7 days, and body temperature was measured at 0, 4, 8, 12, 24, 48 and 72h after surgery.Results: Our results indicated that AT-I significantly increased the survival rate of mice with sepsis (p<0.05), whereas the WBCs and levels of LPS, pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-, IL-1 and IL-6), ALT, AST, Cre, and BUN decreased significantly after treatment with AT-I (p<0.05).Conclusion: In conclusion, the AT-I ameliorates sepsis syndrome by reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines and LPS, and provides an improvement in liver and kidney functions.