Objective  To observe the effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on the acute lung injury of sepsis in combination with the antibiotic imipenem in a mouse model of sepsis that induced by cecal puncture.

  Methods  C57BL/6 mice were used to establish the model of sepsis. The model mice were randomly divided into model group, imipenem group, ginsenoside Rg1 group, and ginsenoside Rg1+imipenem group, 10 mice in each group. Another 10 mice were set as control group. Sham operation was performed in the mice of control group. Each mice was intraperitoneally injected the corresponding drug in 2 h, 26 h and 50 h after surgery for three times. They were 2 h after surgery, 26 h after surgery and 50 h after surgery. 2 h after the last administration, the oxygenation index of the arterial blood was measured, the lung tissue was taken to measure lung wet/dry ratio (W/D), and HE staining was used to observe the lung inflammation. The ELISA kits were used to detect the levels of interleukin (IL)- 1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) inalveolar lavage fluid. Western blot and immunohistochemical staining were used to detect NF-κB p65 expression in lung tissues.

  Results  The drug-administered groups significantly reduced the W/D of the lungs in the septic mice and increased the oxygenation index in the blood (P<0.01), and decreased the inflammation in lung and the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and NF-κB in the alveolar lavage fluid (P<0.01), and decreased the expression of NF-κB p65 in lung tissue (P<0.01). When ginsenoside Rg1 was combined with imipenem, the above indicators were closer to the control group than that in the ginsenoside Rg1 and imipenem groups.

  Conclusion  Rg1 can significantly inhibit lung inflammation in septic mice. It has a better therapeutic effect when combined with antibiotics.