LAUSR

Fragesin, a traditional Chinese medicine, has been shown to exert anti‐inflammatory effect. The aim of this study was to figure out the possible effectiveness of the fargesin, and to invest the mechanisms by which it works in the cadmium‐induced lung injury in mice. Fargesin was given 1 h before cadmium treatment for 7 days. Then, the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were harvested to test inflammatory cells and pro‐inflammatory cytokine production. Lung histopathological changes, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐κB) activation were measured. Fargesin dose‐dependently reduced inflammatory cells and pro‐inflammatory cytokines in BALF, improved lung histopathological injury, and inhibited lung wet/dry ratio and MPO activity. Furthermore, fargesin inhibited cadmium‐induced NF‐κB activation. In addition, fargesin was found to increase AhR expression. In conclusion, fargesin attenuates cadmium‐induced lung injury may be via activating AhR, which subsequently suppressing the inflammatory response.