Researchers report that Xuebijing injection, a traditional Chinese medicine formulation, reduced inflammation and tissue damage in an experimental model of acute lung injury (ALI), according to findings published on Apr. 7. The study was conducted by Chengpeng Sun's team at Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and published in Targetome on Feb. 9.
Acute lung injury can quickly progress from infection-triggered inflammation to respiratory failure, but there are no widely effective drugs that directly address its main biological causes. The new research suggests that Xuebijing injection may offer protection by targeting several pathways involved in ALI.
In the study, researchers used a mouse model where ALI was induced with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and also tested LPS-stimulated alveolar macrophages. They found that Xuebijing reduced surges of inflammatory cytokines, preserved the integrity of the alveolar barrier, and limited tissue injury. Laboratory tests showed lower levels of pro-inflammatory markers such as IL-6 and TNF-α after treatment with Xuebijing. The medicine also appeared to correct disruptions in immune balance by affecting proteins related to tight junctions and immune cell signaling.
Further analysis revealed that Xuebijing suppressed activation of major inflammatory pathways like MAPK and NF-κB while reducing signs of inflammasome activity and ferroptosis—a form of iron-driven cell death associated with worsening lung damage. Researchers identified five direct intracellular targets for Xuebijing components through chemical biology techniques: ENO1, PBK, EIF3I, PKM2, and Keap1.
The authors propose that these multi-target effects could make Xuebijing more effective than treatments aimed at single molecular targets for conditions like ALI. They suggest the findings not only support further investigation into Xuebijing but also highlight new potential drug targets for future therapies against acute lung injury.
