Buyang Huanwu Decoction Ameliorates Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis in Rats via Downregulation of Related Protein and Gene Expression.

Xia Li,Li-na Wang,Jing-juan Pan,Xue Yang,Xuan Wang,Yang-lin Wei

doi:10.1155/2018/9185485

Abstract

Little is known about the effects of Buyang Huanwu decoction on pulmonary fibrosis. Herein, 144 healthy SD rats were randomly divided into six groups: blank control group (B), model control group (M), positive medicine control group (Mp), and high-, moderate-, and low-dose Buyang Huanwu decoction groups (Hd, Md, and Ld). A pulmonary fibrosis model was established by endotracheal injection of bleomycin. On the second day of modeling, the corresponding saline, methylprednisolone suspension, and the three doses of Buyang Huanwu decoction were used to treat the 6 groups of rats by intragastric administration for 7, 14, and 28 consecutive days. After 7, 14, and 28 days of treatment, the mRNA expression of CTGF and AKT, the protein level of CTGF, p-AKT, and collagen types I and III were tested. Finally, we found that the serum collagen type I and III level in Hd, Md, and Ld rats on the 14th and 28th day and the collagen type I and III level in Hd rats on 7th day were significantly lower than in M rats (P < 0.01). The protein level of p-AKT and CTGF in Hd and Md rats on the 7th and 14th days and the protein level of p-AKT in Hd rats on the 28th day were lower than in M rats (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The level of CTGF mRNA in Hd, Md, and Ld rats and the level of AKT mRNA in Hd and Md rats on the 7th, 14th, and 28th days and the expression level of AKT mRNA in Ld rats on the 14th and 28th days were significantly lower than in M rats (P < 0.01). The study suggests that Buyang Huanwu decoction alleviated pulmonary fibrosis of rats by improvement of lung tissue morphology, low level of serum collagen types I and III, and the reduced expression of CTGF and p-AKT protein, which might be a result of its downregulated expression of CTGF and AKT mRNA levels.

Highlights

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is characterized by massive inflammatory cells infiltration, aberrant proliferation of fibroblasts, damage of alveolar structures, and excessive collagen accumulation [1]
Studies confirm that connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), as the downstream effect of TGF-β1 molecules, participated in the transformation process of lung fibroblasts to muscle fibroblasts and can be mediated by fibroblast proliferation and extracellular matrix deposition, which plays a key role in pulmonary fibrosis [5, 6]
We found that, during the lung fibrogenesis induced by BLM in rats, the alveolar inflammation is the most important alteration in the early stage, while in the late stage, the main change is displayed as pulmonary fibrosis [10]

Summary

Introduction

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is characterized by massive inflammatory cells infiltration, aberrant proliferation of fibroblasts, damage of alveolar structures, and excessive collagen accumulation [1]. The most common histopathological pattern seen in lung-biopsy specimens from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is termed usual interstitial pneumonia and is characterized by heterogeneous areas of dense fibrosis, the presence of fibroblastic foci, and honeycombing with architectural distortion [3]. It is a relentlessly progressive and fatal disorder with a dismal median survival of 2 to 3 years from the time of diagnosis [3, 4]. This animal experiment focuses on the effect, protein level, and gene expression of Buyang Huanwu decoction in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis

Methods

Results

Observation of All Rats’ Lung Morphology

Discussion

Conclusions

Conflicts of Interest