Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Effects of Ganoderma Lucidum in Preventing a Mouse Model of High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema

Objective: High-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) is a life-threatening illness from acute hypobaric hypoxia.Ganoderma lucidum, with anti-inflammatory/antioxidant effects, is a potential HAPE therapy.This study explored key biological pathways of its protective effect on HAPE mice.Methods: First, bioinformatics methods were used to predict the key target genes and main biological pathways of Ganoderma lucidum in regulating HAPE.Then, Ganoderma lucidum was administered to HAPE mice as an intervention.Lung histopathological changes were assessed via hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and Masson staining; inflammation-related factor levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); finally, key target gene expression was measured by Western blot (WB) analysis.Results: Bioinformatics analysis revealed a strong functional correlation between Ganoderma lucidum and HAPE pathological regulation.Compared with the HAPE model group, the Ganoderma lucidum group had alleviated lung tissue damage-characterized by reduced alveolar septal edema, inflammatory cell infiltration, and collagen deposition.ELISA confirmed it downregulated pro-inflammatory proteins, while WB showed it significantly decreased expression of key HAPE targets (Adora2b, Ccr2, Ttk, Ace, Cma1, Hspa1a).Conclusion: Ganoderma lucidum may involve in HAPE-related pathways, inhibiting HAPE progression via anti-inflammatory/antioxidant effects, providing a new basis for HAPE treatment.