Pulmonary PPAR-γ protein expression of endotoxin-induced acute lung injury and effects of meloxicam in rabbits

Objective: To investigate the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ（PPAR-γ）protein in lungs of rabbits with acute lung injury induced by endotoxin （ET） and the protective mechanism of meloxicam. Methods: Twenty four Japanese flap-eared white rabbits were randomly assigned to three groups: control group, ET -treated group and meloxicam -treated group. Rabbit ALI models of rabbits were replicated with intravascular ET injection （700 g/kg weight）,meloxicam （2.5 mg/kg weight） was intravascularly injected as treatment group. Using immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis, we measured PPAR-γ protein in each group. Results: PPAR-γ protein expression in ET-treated group was significantly lower than that in control group（P＜0.01）,and PPAR-γ protein expression in meloxicam-treated group was significantly higher than that in ET-treated group（P＜0.01）. Conclusion: The down-regulation of PPAR-γ protein may be involved in ALI. Meloxicam can up-regulate PPAR-γ protein expression, which posseses protective effects on ALI induced by ET.