The alpha-lipoic acid derivative DHLHZn: a new therapeutic agent for acute lung injury in vivo

Objective and design An animal experiment was performed to demonstrate the anti-inflammatory effects of an alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) derivative, dihydrolipoyl histidinate zinc complex (DHLHZn) for acute lung injury (ALI) and to investigate the mechanism of action. Material Rats were randomly divided into three experimental groups: control group ( n = 17), DHLHZn(−) group ( n = 11, ALI model rats), and DHLHZn(+) group ( n = 12, ALI model rats treated by DHLHZn). Treatment Lipopolysaccharides (LPS, 10 mg/kg) were administered intratracheally in the DHLHZn(−) group and the DHLHZn(+) group. For the DHLHZn(+) group, DHLHZn (100 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally 2 h prior to LPS administration. Methods Four hours after LPS administration, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissue were collected. The findings were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U test. Results Total number of cells, number of neutrophils and lymphocytes, levels of various inflammatory cytokines, and NF-kB p65 concentration of BALF were significantly lower in the DHLHZn(+) group than in the DHLHZn(−) group ( p