Narrow Results

The purpose of this study was to determine the inhibitory action of protocatechuic aldehyde (PCA) on tyrosinase activity. PCA is one of the compounds found in the root of Salvia miltiorrhiza. Our study documented that PCA has a potent inhibitory effect on tyrosinase, which catalyzes the rate-limiting step of melanin biosynthesis. Although melanin biosynthesis has an essential function normally in human skin for defense against ultraviolet light of the sun, its abnormal activity as seen in pigmentation disorder could lead to serious medical problems. Our data showed that PCA, with concentrations ranging from 1×10^-5M to 8×10^-5M, exhibited dose-dependent inhibition of the enzyme activity with 50% of inhibition at 19.92×10^-6M. A further kinetic analysis on PCA inactivation of tyrosinase activity revealed a competitive inhibition of the enzyme at the L-tyrosine binding site. The findings of our present study merit further research on the applicability of PCA as a potential agent for treatment of pigmentation disorder.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. Discomfort and fatigue are usually arisen from anticancer therapy such as surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, or combination therapy, because of the suppressed immunological functions. Yunzhi (Coriolus versicolor) can modulate various immunological functions in vitro, in vivo, and in human clinical trials. Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) has been shown to benefit the circulatory system by its vasodilating and anti-dementia activity. The purpose of this clinical trial was to evaluate the immunomodulatory effects of Yunzhi-Danshen capsules in post-treatment breast cancer patients. Eighty-two patients with breast cancer were recruited to take Yunzhi [50 mg/kg body weight, 100% polysaccharopeptide (PSP)] and Danshen (20 mg/kg body weight) capsules every day for a total of 6 months. EDTA blood samples were collected every 2 months for the investigation of immunological functions. Flow cytometry was used to assess the percentages and absolute counts of human lymphocyte subsets in whole blood. Plasma level of soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results showed that the absolute counts of T-helper lymphocytes (CD4+), the ratio of T-helper (CD4+)/T suppressor and cytotoxic lymphocytes (CD8+), and the percentage and the absolute counts of B-lymphocytes were significantly elevated in patients with breast cancer after taking Yunzhi-Danshen capsules, while plasma sIL-2R concentration was significantly decreased (all p < 0.05). Therefore, the regular oral consumption of Yunzhi-Danshen capsules could be beneficial for promoting immunological function in post-treatment of breast cancer patients.

In this study, we evaluated the renal protective effects of a Chinese herbal preparation WH30⁺ in male Wistar rats with glycerol-induced acute renal failure and adenine-induced chronic renal failure. WH30⁺ is a Chinese herb preparation composed of Rheum Palmatum, Salvia Miltiorrhiza, Cordyceps Sinensis, Leonurus Sibiricus, Epihedium Macranthum, Radix Astragali, and Radix Codonopsis Pilosulae, which has been used to treat kidney deficiency in human. An acute renal failure and chronic renal failure rat model were introduced by glycerol injection (i.m.) and fed with adenine-excessive diet, respectively. WH30⁺ was administered to rats at the dose of 50 mg/kg/day from 10 days before the diseases were induced until the rats were sacrificed. A reduction in body weight (p < 0.01) was observed in rats with chronic renal failure, but there was no difference between treatment groups. However, the body weight of rats with acute renal failure without treatment was significantly lower than those treated with WH30⁺ (p < 0.05). Overall, serum creatinine and urea nitrogen were elevated significantly (p < 0.01) in renal failure rats compared to control. Treatment with WH30⁺ improved both serum creatinine and urea nitrogen slightly in both models. The WH30⁺-treated rats with acute renal failure had significantly (p < 0.05) greater creatinine clearance than those without treatment. The results of the study show that WH30⁺ is more effective in the prevention of acute renal failure than chronic renal failure.

In this study, the antiviral activities of seven different extracts of Salvia miltiorrhiza (danshen) were determined. The first two extracts, SA1 and SA2, isolated at room temperature by ethyl acetate and water extraction, respectively, neutralized the enterovirus 71-induced cytopathic effect in Vero, rhabdomyosarcoma and MRC-5 cells. The other five crude extracts, extracted with warm water (60–70°C) or organic solvents, did not have any protective activity. The 50% inhibitory concentrations for neutralizing the enterovirus 71-induced cytopathic effect were 0.742 ± 0.042 mg/ml for SA1 and 0.585 ± 0.018 mg/ml for SA2 in Vero cells. No antiviral activity was observed in the other viruses tested. Antiviral activity was more efficient in cultures treated with SA1 or SA2 during viral infection compared to the cultures treated before or after infection, suggesting that these danshen extracts could interfere with viral entry. SA1 and SA2 were able to inhibit viral RNA synthesis in the infected cells and to abate the apoptotic process in enterovirus 71-infected Vero cells. We conclude that danshen extracts possess antiviral activity and have potential for the development as an anti-enterovirus 71 agent.

This study was to investigate the effect of Dalbergia odorifera (DO) on the pharmacokinetics of Danshensu in Salvia miltiorrhiza (SM) in healthy rabbits and rabbits with qi-stagnancy and blood stasis. Thirty two healthy rabbits were involved in the whole experiment. Qi-stagnancy and blood stasis rabbits were obtained by treating the limbs of 16 adnephrin rabbits in an ice-bath for 6.0 min. The rest of rabbits were equally divided into 2 healthy groups. One healthy group and 8 qi-stagnancy and blood stasis rabbits were orally administrated with SM (5.0 g/kg), and the other 8 healthy rabbits and 8 qi-stagnancy and blood stasis rabbits with SM (5.0 g/kg) coupled with DO (2.5 g/kg). The plasma (Danshensu) concentration–time curve was measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-electrospray ionization (ESI)-trap mass (MS-MS). Danshensu in plasma was confirmed to be two-compartment open model with a first order absorption phase in all groups. Moreover, the area under curve (0-∞) of Danshensu was significantly increased both in healthy group and in qi-stagnancy and blood stasis group after administration of SM coupled with DO. This result was in accordance with the “Jun-Shi pairing herbs theory” of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Salvia miltiorrhiza on the production of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1(PAI-1) induced by angiotensin II (Ang II) in renal mesangial cells. Rat mesangial cells were exposed to 100 nM Ang II. Meanwhile, different concentrations of Salvia miltiorrhiza injection were added to Mesangial Cells. PAI-1 mRNA was measured by semi-quantification reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and PAI-1 protein by Western blotting. ELISA was used to detect the expression of transforming growth factor β₁ (TGF-β₁) in serum free MEM medium. The level of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Salvia miltiorrhiza notably attenuated expression of PAI-1 induced by Ang II in a concentration-dependent manner. Meanwhile, it suppressed the production of TGF-β₁ and cellular ROS in mesangial cells. These effects were due to Salvia miltiorrhiza's ability of inhibiting the activities of angiotensin II. Therefore, Salvia miltiorrhiza can be used to retard progression of glomerular sclerosis.

Inflammatory bowel disease increases the risks of human colorectal cancer. In this study, the effects of Salvia miltiorrhiza extract (SME) on chemically-induced colitis in a mouse model were evaluated. Chemical composition of SME was determined by HPLC analysis. A/J mice received a single injection of AOM 7.5 mg/kg. After one week, these mice received 2.5% DSS for eight days, or DSS plus SME (25 or 50 mg/kg). DSS-induced colitis was scored with the disease activity index (DAI). Body weight and colon length were also measured. The severity of inflammatory lesions was further evaluated by colon tissue histological assessment. HPLC assay showed that the major constituents in the tested SME were danshensu, protocatechuic aldehyde, salvianolic acid D, and salvianolic acid B. In the model group, the DAI score reached its highest level on Day 8, while the SME group on both doses showed a significantly reduced DAI score (both p < 0.01). As an objective index of the severity of inflammation, colon length was significantly shorter in the model group than the vehicle group. Treatment with 25 and 50 mg/kg of SME inhibited the shortening of colon in a dose-related manner (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively). SME groups also significantly reduced weight reduction (p < 0.05). Colitis histological data supported the pharmacological observations. Thus, Salvia miltiorrhiza could be a promising candidate in preventing and treating colitis and in reducing the risks of inflammation-associated colorectal cancer.

Cor pulmonale (pulmonary heart disease) is a chronic progressive complicated disease for which treatment needs to be sustained all the time, creating a great financial burden on individuals and society. In order to improve the life quality of cor pulmonale patients and decrease the dosage and quantity of the routine treatment, in China, TCM is often administered to patients with cor pulmonale. The results of many clinical trials have indicated that Salvia miltiorrhiza and complex Salvia miltiorrhiza injection may be an alternative medicine for cor pulmonale. With the purpose to prove whether Salvia miltiorrhiza and complex Salvia miltiorrhiza benefit the cor pulmonale patients, respectively, we carried out a systematic review to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Salvia miltiorrhiza and complex Salvia miltiorrhiza injection in cor pulmonale patients. Overall, 2,715 patients were identified from 35 randomized controlled trials. The meta-analysis used I² test for heterogeneity and chose random or fixed model according to heterogeneity of included studies. Clinical outcomes were evaluated by total effectiveness rate, partial pressure of oxygen (PaO₂) and carbon dioxide (PaCO₂), hemorheology, mPAP and adverse effects. Compared with routine medicine treatment alone, routine medicine treatment plus Salvia miltiorrhiza or complex Salvia miltiorrhiza injection showed better outcomes: A significantly higher clinical effectiveness rate ratio (p < 0.001), increase in PaO₂ (p < 0.001) and decrease in PaCO₂ (p < 0.001), improvement in hemorheology (p < 0.001), and alleviation in mPAP (p < 0.05). There is no obvious adverse effect reported. In summary, there are some evidences suggesting that Salvia miltiorrhiza or complex Salvia miltiorrhiza injection are active in cor pulmonale, however, the results were limited by the methodological flaws of the included studies. Long-term and high quality clinical trials are needed to provide more conclusive evidence for the future use of Salvia miltiorrhiza injection.

Compound Danshen dripping pill (CDDP) is commonly used to treat coronary heart disease (CHD) in China. However, clinical practice has not been informed by evidence from relevant systematic reviews (SRs). This overview aims at summarizing evidence from SRs on CDDP for the treatment of CHD. We included SRs of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on CDDP in treating CHD until March 2014 by searching the Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE and four Chinese databases. Data were extracted according to a pre-designed form. We assessed the quality of SRs according to AMSTAR and graded the quality of evidence in the included SRs using the GRADE approach. All data analyses were descriptive. About 13 SRs involving a total of 34,071 participants with angina or acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were included. Few SRs assessed endpoints (5/13, 38.5%) and quality of life (QOL) (4/13, 30.8%). Most of the SRs suggested that CDDP had potential benefits for patients with CHD, such as improving symptoms and electrocardiogram (ECG) results, with few adverse reactions, while benefits in endpoints were unproved. Moreover, the overall quality of evidence in the SRs was poor, ranging from "very low" to "moderate", and most of the included SRs were of "low" (3/13, 23.1%) or "moderate" (9/13, 69.2%) quality with many serious flaws. Current SRs suggested potential benefits of CDDP for the treatment of CHD. However, high-quality evidence is warranted to support the application of CDDP in treating CHD.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a common cause of chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease, which can be triggered by oxidative stress. In this study, we investigated the renoprotective effect of the ethyl acetate extract of Salvia miltiorrhiza (EASM) on DN and examined the underlying molecular mechanism. We observed that EASM treatment attenuated metabolic abnormalities associated with hyperglycemic conditions in the experimental DN model. In streptozotocin (STZ)-induced mice, EASM treatment reduced albuminuria, improved renal function and alleviated the pathological alterations within the glomerulus. To mimic the hyperglycemic conditions in DN patients, we used high glucose (25mmol/L) media to stimulate mouse mesangial cells (MMCs), and EASM inhibited high glucose-induced reactive oxygen species. We also observed that EASM enhanced the expression of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), which mediated the anti-oxidant response, and its downstream gene heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 (NQO1) with concomitant decrease of expression of kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (keap1) both in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, these results suggest that EASM alleviates the progression of DN and this might be associated with activation of Nrf2.

Critical care medicine is a medical specialty engaging the diagnosis and treatment of critically ill patients who have or are likely to have life-threatening organ failure. Sepsis, a life-threatening condition that arises when the body responds to infection, is currently the major cause of death in intensive care units (ICU). Although progress has been made in understanding the pathophysiology of sepsis, many drawbacks in sepsis treatment remains unresolved. For example, antimicrobial resistance, controversial of glucocorticoids use, prolonged duration of ICU care and the subsequent high cost of the treatment. Recent years have witnessed a growing trend of applying traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in sepsis management. The TCM application emphasizes use of herbal formulation to balance immune responses to infection, which include clearing heat and toxin, promoting blood circulation and removing its stasis, enhancing gastrointestinal function, and strengthening body resistance. In this paper, we will provide an overview of the current status of Chinese herbal formulations, single herbs, and isolated compounds, as an add-on therapy to the standard Western treatment in the sepsis management. With the current trajectory of worldwide pandemic eruption of newly identified Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19), the adjuvant TCM therapy can be used in the ICU to treat critically ill patients infected with the novel coronavirus.

Uric acid nephropathy (UAN) is caused by excessive uric acid, which results in the damage of renal tissue via urate crystals deposition in the kidneys. The roots and rhizomes of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (S. miltiorrhiza) have been clinically used in many prescriptions to treat uric acid-induced renal damage. This study investigates the uricosuric and nephroprotective effects of the ethyl acetate extract of S. miltiorrhiza (EASM) and tanshinone IIA (a major component of S. miltiorrhiza, Tan-IIA) on UAN and explores the underlying molecular mechanism. Both EASM and Tan-IIA significantly decreased serum uric acid (SUA), serum creatinine (SCR), urine uric acid (UUA), and increased urine creatinine (UCR), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels in experimental UAN mice. In adenine and potassium oxonate-induced mice, EASM and Tan-IIA treatment alleviated renal dysfunction and downregulated the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Moreover, EASM treatment significantly prevented excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in uric acid-induced HK-2 cells and suppressed the expression of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 4 (NOX4). EASM also suppressed ROS-activated mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in vivo and in vitro. These results suggest that both EASM and Tan-IIA demonstrated inhibitory effects on UAN through relieving NOX4-mediated oxidative stress and suppressing MAPK pathways activation.

Tanshinone IIA (TanIIA) has neuroprotective effects against cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury (CIRI), but its clinical application is limited due to poor water solubility and robust first pass elimination property. In this study, we developed microemulsion loaded with TanIIA (TanIIA ME) to break through these limitations, and explored the neuroprotective effect of TanIIA ME against CIRI and the epigenetic regulation mechanism of this neuroprotection. In vivo, middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) models were treated with TanIIA ME and TanIIA solution or sodium valproate as a control. The effect of TanIIA ME on HDAC activity was determined by ELISA assay. In addition, we used primary hippocampal neurons to establish oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R) models. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay were performed to investigate the neuroprotective efficacy of TanIIA ME. Subsequently, the expression of H3K18ac, H4K8ac, NMDAR1, caspase-3, and MAP-2 were investigated in MCAO or OGD/R models treated with TanIIA ME, TanIIA solution or sodium valproate. In vivo experimental results indicated that TanIIA ME significantly reduced neurological scores, infarction volume, and HDAC activity compared with TanIIA solution and MCAO group, accompanied by upregulation of H3K18ac, H4K8ac, and MAP-2 expression and downregulation of NMDAR1 and caspase-3 expression. Additionally, in OGD/R models, the results demonstrated that TanIIA ME treatment had a better neuroprotective effect along with increased H3K18ac, H4K8ac, and MAP-2 expression and decreased NMDAR1 and caspase-3 expression, compared with the other treatments except sodium valproate. Overall, TanIIA ME treatment exhibited superior efficacy in protecting against CIRI through mechanisms that might involve the inhibition of NMDAR1 and caspase-3 expression and the enhancement of MAP-2 expression by regulating histone H3K18 and H4K8 acetylation. Thus, TanIIA ME could be potentially used to develop a promising drug for the treatment of ischemic stroke.

Pressure overload is a major risk factor for various cardiovascular diseases. Disorders of the endothelium are involved in the pathological mechanisms of pressure, and maintaining endothelial function is a practical strategy to alleviate pressure overload-induced cardiac injury. In this study, we provided evidence that salvianolic acid, the active component of Danshen, a traditional Chinese herb medicine, preserved pressure overload-induced cardiac dysfunction via protecting endothelium. Male C57BL/6J mice were imposed with transverse aortic constriction to mimic pressure overload and treated with salvianolic acid (200mg/kg/day) or vehicle for 6 weeks. The hemodynamic and cardiac functional parameters were detected by the cardiac catheter and transthoracic echocardiography. The pathological measurements were conducted by heart hematoxylin-eosin, wheat germ agglutinin staining, Masson’s trichrome staining, and immunofluorescence staining. Endothelial cell (EC) proliferation was estimated using the Cell Counting Kit-8, EC migration was evaluated by scratched assay, and EC integrity was observed by electron microscope. Salvianolic acid notably inhibited cardiac chamber enlargement, restrained cardiac contractile dysfunction, and repressed cardiac fibrosis caused by chronic pressure overload. Salvianolic acid maintained endothelial tight junction integrity by boosting the expression of CD31. Furthermore, the endothelial protective effect of salvianolic acid against pressure overload is dependent on the activation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1$\alpha$, which consequently activated heat shock factor 1 and promoted CD31 expression. Our study uncovered that salvianolic acid protected cardiac ECs against pressure overload via a HIF1$\alpha$/HSF1/CD31 pathway, indicating a potential appliance of salvianolic acid in hypertensive heart disease.

Tanshinone IIA (Tan-IIA) is a major component extracted from the traditional herbal medicine Danshen, which has shown antipulmonary fibrosis by suppress reactive oxygen species-mediated activation of myofibroblast. However, the exact mechanism of Tan-IIA against pulmonary fibrosis (PF) remains unclear. This work aimed to explore the underlying mechanism of the protective effects of Tan-IIA on PF. By using high-throughput RNA-Seq analysis, we have compared the genome-wide gene expression profiles and pathway enrichment of Tan-IIA-treated NIH-3T3 cells with or without transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-$\beta$1) induction. In normal NIH-3T3 cells, Tan-IIA treatment up-regulated 181 differential expression genes (DEGs) and down-regulated 137 DEGs. In TGF-$\beta$1-induced NIH-3T3 cells, Tan-IIA treatment up-regulated 709 DEGs and down-regulated 1075 DEGs, and these DEGs were enriched in extracellular matrix organization, collagen fibril organization, cell adhesion, ECM–receptor interaction, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and P53 signaling pathway. Moreover, there were 207 co-expressed DEGs between Tan-IIA treatment vs. the Control and TGF-$\beta$1 plus Tan-IIA treatment vs. TGF-$\beta$1 alone treatment, some of which were related to anti-oxidative stress. In both normal and TGF-$\beta$1-induced NIH-3T3 cells, protein–protein interaction network analysis indicated that Tan-IIA can regulate the expression of several common anti-oxidant genes including Heme oxygenase 1 (Ho-1, also known as Homx1), Sestrin2 (Sesn2), GCL modifier subunit (Gclm), GCL catalytic subunit (Gclc) and Sequestosome-1 (Sqstm1). Quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis confirmed some DEGs specifically expressing on Tan-IIA treated cells, which provided new candidates for further functional studies of Tan-IIA. In both in vitro and in vivo PF models, the protein expression of Sesn2 was significantly enhanced by Tan-IIA treatment. Overexpression and knockdown experiments showed that Sesn2 is required for Tan-IIA against TGF-$\beta$1-induced myofibroblast activation by reinforcing nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-mediated anti-oxidant response via downregulation of kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1). These results suggest Tan-IIA inhibits myofibroblast activation by activating Sesn2-Nrf2 signaling pathway, and provide a new insight into the essential role of Sesn2 in PF.

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, called Danshen in Chinese, is the dried root and rhizome of S. miltiorrhiza, which is part of the mint family, Lamiaceae; it has chiefly been used to treat blood stasis and improve blood flow in cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases for over 2000 years. Recent preclinical studies have indicated that S. miltiorrhiza has a wide range of pharmacological properties making it useful for the treatment of diverse liver diseases. S. miltiorrhiza protects the liver from harmful hepatotoxins, reduces hepatic oxidative stress, ameliorates steatosis, and alleviates hepatic inflammation, fibrosis, and cancer. Moreover, several key mechanisms, including apoptosis, AMP-activated protein kinase, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and nuclear factor kappa B, may be involved in the benefits of S. miltiorrhiza in hepatic disorders. In particular, salvianolic acid B and cryptotanshinone, both compounds derived from S. miltiorrhiza, possess therapeutic activities similar to those of S. miltiorrhiza, and thus may play a crucial role in the therapeutic activity of S. miltiorrhiza in liver diseases. Because reports on the pharmacological effects of this herb are scattered, this review aimed to consolidate the available literature to allow the re-evaluation and identification of gaps to guide future research. This review focuses on the role of S. miltiorrhiza in improving the molecular pathology of liver diseases, as reported in in vitro and in vivo studies.

Ginseng-containing Shentao Ruangan granules (STR) have been a well-known Chinese medicine prescription for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in China for decades. This study aimed to establish an in silico experimental framework to decipher the underlying mechanism of STR in the treatment of HCC. Microarray analysis, network pharmacology, RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq), bioinformatics analysis, and in vivo and in vitro experiments were used as integrated approaches to uncover the effects and mechanisms of action of STR. The introduction of STR significantly suppresses the proliferation and metastasis of HepG2 and Huh7 cells. STR treatment notably suppressed the growth of transplanted Huh7 tumors. Furthermore, STR administration reduced the expression of various epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins including N-cadherin, vimentin, and $\beta$-catenin. By employing a systems biology approach, 21 common genes were identified across RNA-seq data, TCGA-HCC dataset, and network pharmacology analysis. Finally, of these genes nine were found to be associated with both OS and PFS in patients with HCC within the TCGA cohort. Validation of candidate genes by qPCR and WB identified a significant downregulation in the expression of pGSK3$\beta$ and RELA protein with increasing concentrations of STR. These results elucidated the mechanism by which STR inhibits tumor growth and EMT of HCC may be related to the GSK3$\beta$/RELA pathway.

Purpose: This study investigates the protective effect of Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) on isolated rabbit's pulmonary ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) and discusses its potential for the treatment of microcirculation disorders. Methods: We chose isolated rabbit's IRI as our experimental models, and randomly divided 24 New Zealand rabbits into two groups. For the control group (L), the lungs were perfused with Low Potassium Dextran (LPD) solution under 4${}^{\circ }$C, and then it was preserved under 10${}^{\circ }$C. For the experimental group (LT), the lungs were perfused and preserved with LPD$+$Tan solution using the same approach. After the lungs have been preserved for 18h, we again perfused it for another 30 min. After reperfusion was completed, we determined the contents of SOD, NO, and MDA immediately. The wet to dry weight ratio (W/$D)$ was then obtained. Finally, we use a combination of light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy to observe the ultra-structural changes of lung tissues. Results: We discovered that the contents of SOD and NO in group LT were higher than that in group L ($p<0.05$). However, the MDA and the W/D values in group LT were lower than that in group L ($p>0.05$ or $p<0.01$). We also observed that part of the tissues has hyperemia, edema, and congestion. Under the light microscopy, the structures of the pulmonary alveoli, bronchi, and capillaries were complete. But under high-power field, group L had a more obvious phenomenon of alveolar epithelium and capillary epithelium cells swelling and hypertrophy with respect to group LT. It could be observed that in the partial tissues, erythrocytes exuded from alveoli and the interval tends to widen in the alveoli. Under transmission electron microscopy, group L is observed to have mitochondria swelling, vacuolization, and even autosome edge accumulation. Microvillus of cell Type II significantly decreased or disappeared. Blood–air barrier swelled severely and a portion of it was cracked. The phenomena above were obviously reduced for group LT. Conclusion: Our experiments confirmed that adding Tan IIA into LPD solution can reduce the isolated rabbit's IRI effectively.