The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of
triptolide on ATP‑binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) expression in
lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‑induced
acute lung injury (ALI) in rats. Thirty male Sprague Dawley rats weighing 200‑250 g were randomly divided into six groups: Normal (N, n=5), Control (C, n=5), LPS (L, n=5),
Triptolide 25 µg (TP1, n=5),
Triptolide 50 µg (TP2, n=5) and
Triptolide 100 µg (
TP3, n=5). The N group was not administered anything; the C group was administered 5 ml/kg
normal saline intravenously and 7.5 ml/kg 1%
dimethylsulfoxide (
DMSO) intraperitoneally; the L group was administered 5 mg/kg 0.1% LPS and 1%
DMSO; and the TP1, TP2 and
TP3 groups were separately injected with 0.1% LPS and 25, 50 or 100 µg/kg
triptolide, respectively. All groups had the same liquid‑injection volume. Arterial blood
gases,
tumor necrosis factor‑α (TNF‑α) and ABCA1 expression and general pathology were examined following the treatments. It was found that increasing the
triptolide dose in the TP1‑3 groups resulted in an increase in the expression of ABCA1
mRNA and
protein. As compared with the L group, the ABCA1 expression showed a significant increase in TP2 and
TP3 groups (P<0.05). In addition, the expression level of TNF‑α was significantly increased in the L and TP1 groups, as compared with that in the N or C groups (P<0.05). Conversely, a marked decrease in TNF‑α expression was detected in the TP2 and
TP3 groups, as compared with the L or TP1 groups (P<0.05). In conclusion, this study found that
triptolide could promote the expression of ABCA1
mRNA and
protein and inhibit other inflammatory factors during LPS‑induced ALI in rats. Regulating the expression of ABCA1 may be one of the protective mechanisms of
triptolide. Furthermore, triptolide‑induced increases in ABCA1 expression occurred in a dose‑dependent manner between 25 and 100 µg/kg.