Regulatory effect of resveratrol on the expressions of factors and surface markers in alveolar macrophages of Aspergillus fumigatus-infected COPD rat model, and the associated mechanism

Purpose: To study the influence of resveratrol on chronic obstruction in Aspergillus fumigatus infection-induced chronic lung disease (COPD) in rats, and the process involved. Methods: Seventy-five Sprague Dawley SD) rats were assigned to blank control, COPD model, Aspergillus fumigatus-infected COPD model, low (100 mg/kg) and high-dose (200 mg/kg) resveratrol groups, with 15 rats in each group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to assay IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), while lung protein concentrations of AMPK and PGC-1α were assayed by immunoblotting. Results: In low- and high-dose resveratrol groups, inflammatory factor levels were significantly lower than the corresponding levels in COPD model and Aspergillus fumigatus-infected COPD model (p < 0.05), while lung tissue proteins of AMPK, PGC-1α, and AQP5 of the rats given high-dose resveratrol were significantly raised, relative to corresponding levels in rats given low-dose resveratrol (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Resveratrol modulates expression levels of secretory factors and surface markers in alveolar macrophages in COPD model rats infected with Aspergillus fumigatus. Resveratrol exerts this effect through the regulation of AMPK/PGC-1α signaling pathway.