Abstract:Objectives To explore the lung injury of rats due to acute exposure to PM2.5, and to discuss the antagonistic role of Lianhuaqingwen to the injury. Methods Forty-eight healthy adult Wistar rats were randomly assigned into four experimental groups (PM2.5 group, low-dose Lianhuaqingwen group, medium-dose Lianhuaqingwen group and high-dose Lianhuaqingwen group) and two control groups (control group and saline control group). The PM2.5 suspension was prepared with fine particulates provided by Shijiazhuang Environmental Monitoring Center. The rat models were developed by exposure to PM2.5 through intratracheal drip. The saline control group was instilled with saline (1 ml /kg) once; the PM2.5 group was instilled with suspension of PM2.5 via trachea (7.5 mg/kg); the three intervention groups were given diet supplemented with different doses of Lianhuaqingwen (2 g/kg, 4 g/kg and 8 g/kg respectively) for 4 days before drip with suspension of PM2.5. Interleukin 17 (IL-17) and surfactant protein A (SP-A) in the serum were measured using ELASA. Pathological changes of the lungs were observed at the same time. Results The serum levels of IL-17 and SP-A were not significantly different between the saline control group and the control group (P > 0.05). The levels of IL-17 and SP-A in the PM2.5 group were markedly higher than those in the saline control group and the control group (P < 0.05). The level of IL-17 was significant different between the high-dose Lianhuaqingwen group and the PM2.5 group (P < 0.05), and the level of IL-17 in each intervention group was markedly changed compared with that in the PM2.5 group (P < 0.05). Conclusions The acute exposure to PM2.5 can induce injury to rat's lungs. Lianhuaqingwen could produce antagonistic effects to inflammatory injury to rat's lung tissues.