Cannabidiol protects lung against inflammation and apoptosis in a rat model of blunt chest trauma via Bax/Bcl-2/Cas-9 signaling pathway.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the hypothesis that cannabidiol (CBD), with known anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects, would reduce the severity of acute lung injury in pulmonary contusion following blunt chest trauma.

METHODS

Forty male Wistar Albino rats were randomly divided into four groups, each consisting of 10 rats: Sham, Trauma, Trauma + CBD, and CBD. The rats were treated with a single dose of 5 mg/kg CBD intraperitoneally 30 min before trauma. Then, the trauma were exposed to a weight of 200 g and a height of 1 m. After sacrifice, the lung tissues were removed for histopathological, immunohistochemical, biochemical, and genetic analyses.

RESULTS

Pulmonary injury of trauma group led to increases in tumor necrosis factor α, caspase-3, caspase-9, Bcl-2-associated X protein expressions, total oxidant status, oxidative stress index levels, and decreases in B-cell lymphoma expression and total antioxidant levels. Additionally, inflammatory cell infiltration, damage-related emphysema, pronounced hyperemia, and increased septal tissue thickness were observed histopathologically. CBD treatment ameliorated all these findings.

CONCLUSION

CBD reduces lung damage in lung contusions caused by blunt chest trauma through its anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects. More detailed studies investigating other important intracellular pathways are needed.