Mori Cortex Decreases the Acute Edematous Lung Injury Induced by Skin Burn

Objectives : The present study was conducted to determine whether administration of heat extracts of blori Cortex has an inhibitory effect of neutrophil-derived oxidative injury following dermal scald bum in rats. Methods : Acute lung injury was induced by scald bum (15% of TBSA) in rats. To identify acute lung edematous lung injury, 5 hrs after skin bum, protein concentrations and the number of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) were measured. In addition, levels of lung KC (neutrophil chemoattractant cytokine) and activities of lung myeloperoxidase (MPO) were measured, and morphological changes were observed. Results : Lung weight and concentration of BAL protein, the index of lung injury, were clearly increased at 5 hrs postbum compared to them of sham. Administration of heat extracts of Mori Cortex after scald burn inhibited the prtduction of KC in lung tissue and decreased the activity of lung MPO as a result of neutrophil infiltration. In histological changes, edematous lung injury with infiltration of inflammatory cells induced by skin bum were decreased by administration of heat extracts of Mori Cortex after scald bum. Conclusions : These results suggest that Mori Cortex may be a successful medical stuff in acute lung injury induced by skin bum.