The mechanism underlying the protective effect of Rebaudioside B against acute lung injury using a network pharmacology-based strategy.

Abstract

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a serious disease characterized by inflammatory reaction, lung tissue hyperemia and edema. Rebaudioside B (Reb B) is a natural sweetener extracted from Stevia Rebaudiana and has a variety of pharmacological activities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effect of Reb B on ALI and its potential mechanism. The protein-protein interaction network, GO and KEGG were all used to determine the mechanism of Reb B in the treatment of ALI. Finally, we established a rat ALI model that was induced by oleic acid, and further verified the protective effect of Reb B on injured lung tissue as well as its underlying mechanism through a variety of experimental methods. 1481 potential targets of Reb B were identified through the database, and 136 communication targets were found between Reb B and ALI. In vivo experiments show that the protective effect of Reb B on ALI in rats is achieved by reducing related histopathological changes, the release of inflammatory factors, etc. In summary, we have preliminarily revealed the protective effect of Reb B on ALI and its possible mechanisms through research on network pharmacology and in vivo experiments.