RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Curcumin has remarkable anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. However, its effects on bacterium-induced acute lung injury (ALI) are not fully understood. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effects of curcumin on a mouse model of S. aureus-induced ALI. METHODS: Mice were pretreated with intraperitoneal injection of curcumin or vehicle 2 h before Staphylococcus aureus instillation. The survival rate and bacterial burden after infection were recorded. Mice were sacrificed for the analyses of severity of pneumonia, integrity of lung barrier, disorder of coagulation cascades and extent of inflammation 12 h postinfection. The production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines in the lung and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was detected. RESULTS: Pretreatment with curcumin markedly attenuated S. aureus-induced pneumonia, barrier disruption, lung edema and vascular leakage. Activation of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and infiltration of neutrophils were reduced by curcumin, together with lower levels of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. CONCLUSION: Curcumin can alleviate S. aureus-induced ALI through multiple pathways.