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Tang S, Wang M, Peng Y, Liang Y, Lei J, Tao Q, Ming T, Shen Y, Zhang C, Guo J, Xu H. Armeniacae semen amarum: a review on its botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, clinical application, toxicology and pharmacokinetics. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1290888. [PMID: 38323080 PMCID: PMC10844384 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1290888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Armeniacae semen amarum-seeds of Prunus armeniaca L. (Rosaceae) (ASA), also known as Kuxingren in Chinese, is a traditional Chinese herbal drug commonly used for lung disease and intestinal disorders. It has long been used to treat coughs and asthma, as well as to lubricate the colon and reduce constipation. ASA refers to the dried ripe seed of diverse species of Rosaceae and contains a variety of phytochemical components, including glycosides, organic acids, amino acids, flavonoids, terpenes, phytosterols, phenylpropanoids, and other components. Extensive data shows that ASA exhibits various pharmacological activities, such as anticancer activity, anti-oxidation, antimicrobial activity, anti-inflammation, protection of cardiovascular, neural, respiratory and digestive systems, antidiabetic effects, and protection of the liver and kidney, and other activities. In clinical practice, ASA can be used as a single drug or in combination with other traditional Chinese medicines, forming ASA-containing formulas, to treat various afflictions. However, it is important to consider the potential adverse reactions and pharmacokinetic properties of ASA during its clinical use. Overall, with various bioactive components, diversified pharmacological actions and potent efficacies, ASA is a promising drug that merits in-depth study on its functional mechanisms to facilitate its clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shun Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Minmin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuhui Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuanjing Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiarong Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Qiu Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Tianqi Ming
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Yanqiao Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Chuantao Zhang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Jinlin Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Medical Technology, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Haibo Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
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Isshiki T, Naiel S, Vierhout M, Otsubo K, Ali P, Tsubouchi K, Yazdanshenas P, Kumaran V, Dvorkin-Gheva A, Kolb MRJ, Ask K. Therapeutic strategies to target connective tissue growth factor in fibrotic lung diseases. Pharmacol Ther 2024; 253:108578. [PMID: 38103794 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2023.108578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
The treatment of interstitial lung diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), remains challenging as current available antifibrotic agents are not effective in halting disease progression. Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), also known as cellular communication factor 2 (CCN2), is a member of the CCN family of proteins that regulates cell signaling through cell surface receptors such as integrins, the activity of cytokines/growth factors, and the turnover of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. Accumulating evidence indicates that CTGF plays a crucial role in promoting lung fibrosis through multiple processes, including inducing transdifferentiation of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and cooperating with other fibrotic mediators such as TGF-β. Increased expression of CTGF has been observed in fibrotic lungs and inhibiting CTGF signaling has been shown to suppress lung fibrosis in several animal models. Thus, the CTGF signaling pathway is emerging as a potential therapeutic target in IPF and other pulmonary fibrotic conditions. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current evidence on the pathogenic role of CTGF in pulmonary fibrosis and discusses the current therapeutic agents targeting CTGF using a systematic review approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuma Isshiki
- Department of Medicine, Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health, McMaster University, 5o Charlton Avenue East, Hamilton, ON, L8N 4A6, Canada; Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster Immunology Research Center, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 48L, Canada; Department of Respiratory Medicine, Toho University School of Medicine, 6-11-1 Omori Nisi, Ota-ku, Tokyo 143-8541, Japan
| | - Safaa Naiel
- Department of Medicine, Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health, McMaster University, 5o Charlton Avenue East, Hamilton, ON, L8N 4A6, Canada; Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster Immunology Research Center, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 48L, Canada
| | - Megan Vierhout
- Department of Medicine, Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health, McMaster University, 5o Charlton Avenue East, Hamilton, ON, L8N 4A6, Canada; Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster Immunology Research Center, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 48L, Canada
| | - Kohei Otsubo
- Department of Medicine, Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health, McMaster University, 5o Charlton Avenue East, Hamilton, ON, L8N 4A6, Canada; Research Institute for Diseases of the Chest, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-Ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Pareesa Ali
- Department of Medicine, Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health, McMaster University, 5o Charlton Avenue East, Hamilton, ON, L8N 4A6, Canada; Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster Immunology Research Center, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 48L, Canada
| | - Kazuya Tsubouchi
- Department of Medicine, Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health, McMaster University, 5o Charlton Avenue East, Hamilton, ON, L8N 4A6, Canada; Research Institute for Diseases of the Chest, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-Ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Parichehr Yazdanshenas
- Department of Medicine, Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health, McMaster University, 5o Charlton Avenue East, Hamilton, ON, L8N 4A6, Canada; Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster Immunology Research Center, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 48L, Canada
| | - Vaishnavi Kumaran
- Department of Medicine, Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health, McMaster University, 5o Charlton Avenue East, Hamilton, ON, L8N 4A6, Canada; Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster Immunology Research Center, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 48L, Canada
| | - Anna Dvorkin-Gheva
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster Immunology Research Center, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 48L, Canada
| | - Martin R J Kolb
- Department of Medicine, Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health, McMaster University, 5o Charlton Avenue East, Hamilton, ON, L8N 4A6, Canada
| | - Kjetil Ask
- Department of Medicine, Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health, McMaster University, 5o Charlton Avenue East, Hamilton, ON, L8N 4A6, Canada; Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster Immunology Research Center, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 48L, Canada.
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Zhu DW, Yu Q, Sun JJ, Shen YH. Evaluating the Therapeutic Mechanisms of Selected Active Compounds in Houttuynia cordata Thunb. in Pulmonary Fibrosis via Network Pharmacology Analysis. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:733618. [PMID: 34658873 PMCID: PMC8514782 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.733618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary fibrosis, a common outcome of pulmonary interstitial disease of various different etiologies, is one of the most important causes of respiratory failure. Houttuynia cordata Thunb. (family: Saururaceae) (H. cordata), as has been reported, is a Chinese herbal medicine commonly used to treat upper respiratory tract infection and bronchitis. Our previous study has proven that sodium houttuyfonate (an additional compound from sodium bisulfite and houttuynin) had beneficial effects in the prevention of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) induced by bleomycin (BLM) in mice. In the present study, network pharmacology was used to investigate the efficiency and potential mechanisms of H. cordata in PF treatment. Upon manual collection from the literature and databases such as TCMSP and TCM-ID, 10 known representative ingredients of H. cordata species were screened. Then, the prediction of the potential active ingredients, action targets, and signaling pathways were conducted through the Gene Ontology (GO), protein–protein interaction (PPI),and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses. The results of network pharmacology prediction suggested that H. cordata may act through multiple signaling pathways to alleviate PF, including the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) pathways, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways, the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) pathways, and interleukin-17 (IL-17) signaling pathways. Molecular docking experiments showed that the chemical constituents of H. cordata had good affinity with TNF, MAPK1, and AKT1, and using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced A549 cells, a model was established to verify the anti-pulmonary fibrosis effects and related mechanisms of H. cordata–relevant constituents. Finally, these evidences collectively suggest H. cordata may alleviate PF progression via PI3K/Akt, MAPK, and TNF signaling pathways and provide novel insights to verify the mechanism of H. cordata in the treatment of PF.
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Affiliation(s)
- De-Wei Zhu
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qun Yu
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ji-Jia Sun
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yun-Hui Shen
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Cymbopogon winterianus Essential Oil Attenuates Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis in a Murine Model. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13050679. [PMID: 34065064 PMCID: PMC8150729 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13050679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 05/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The essential oil of Cymbopogon winterianus (EOCW) is a natural product with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antifibrotic properties. We studied the effect of EOCW in the progression of histological changes of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) in a rodent model. The oil was obtained by hydrodistillation and characterized using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Intratracheal instillation of bleomycin was performed in 30 rats to induce PF, while Sham animals were subjected to instillation of saline solution. The treatment was performed using daily oral administration of distilled water, EOCW at 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, and deflazacort (DFC). After 28 days, hemogram and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), tissue levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) were assayed. Histological grading of PF, immunohistochemical expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) were also analyzed. The EOCW major compounds were found to be citronellal, geraniol, and citronellol. EOCW significantly reduced inflammation in BALF, reduced MDA levels, and increased SOD activity. EOCW attenuated histological grading of PF and reduced immunohistochemical expression of α-SMA and TGF-β in a dose-dependent way, likely due to the reduction of oxidative stress, inflammation, and TGF-β-induced myofibroblast differentiation.
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Jin D, An X, Zhang Y, Zhao S, Duan L, Duan Y, Lian F, Tong X. Potential Mechanism Prediction of Herbal Medicine for Pulmonary Fibrosis Associated with SARS-CoV-2 Infection Based on Network Analysis and Molecular Docking. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:602218. [PMID: 33986661 PMCID: PMC8112227 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.602218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still a relevant global problem. Although some patients have recovered from COVID-19, the sequalae to the SARS-CoV-2 infection may include pulmonary fibrosis, which may contribute to considerable economic burden and health-care challenges. Convalescent Chinese Prescription (CCP) has been widely used during the COVID-19 recovery period for patients who were at high risk of pulmonary fibrosis and is recommended by the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for COVID-19 (Trial Version sixth, seventh). However, its underlying mechanism is still unclear. Methods: In this study, an integrated pharmacology approach was implemented, which involved evaluation of absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of CCP, data mining of the disease targets, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction, and analysis, enrichment analysis, and molecular docking simulation, to predict the bioactive components, potential targets, and molecular mechanism of CCP for pulmonary fibrosis associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results: The active compound of CCP and the candidate targets, including pulmonary fibrosis targets, were obtained through database mining. The Drug-Disease network was constructed. Sixty-five key targets were identified by topological analysis. The findings of Gene Ontology (GO) terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway annotation suggested that the VEGF, Toll-like 4 receptor, MAPK signaling pathway, and TGF-β1 signaling pathways may be involved in pulmonary fibrosis. In the molecular docking analyses, VEGF, TNF-α, IL-6, MMP9 exhibited good binding activity. Findings from our study indicated that CCP could inhibit the expression of VEGF, TNF-α, IL-6, MMP9, TGF-β1 via the VEGF, Toll-like 4 receptor, MAPK, and TGF-β1 signaling pathways. Conclusion: Potential mechanisms involved in CCP treatment for COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection involves multiple components and multiple target points as well as multiple pathways. These findings may offer a profile for further investigations of the anti-fibrotic mechanism of CCP.
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Affiliation(s)
- De Jin
- Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xuedong An
- Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuqing Zhang
- Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shenghui Zhao
- Graduate School, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Liyun Duan
- Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yingying Duan
- Graduate School, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Fengmei Lian
- Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaolin Tong
- Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
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Yang X, Chen Z, Chen C, Han C, Zhou Y, Li X, Tian H, Cheng X, Zhang K, Qin A, Zhou T, Zhao J. Bleomycin induces fibrotic transformation of bone marrow stromal cells to treat height loss of intervertebral disc through the TGFβR1/Smad2/3 pathway. Stem Cell Res Ther 2021; 12:34. [PMID: 33413668 PMCID: PMC7791639 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-020-02093-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Lower back pain is often accredited to loss of intervertebral disc (IVD) height and compromised spine stability as a result of intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). We aim to locally use bleomycin to induce the fibrotic transformation of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) as a means to induce reparative fibrosis to slow down the height loss. Methods IVDs from patients were gathered for histological examination. The expression of the transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β) signaling pathway was determined by qPCR and western blotting. Nucleus pulposus (NP) cells, annulus fibrosus (AF) cells, and the rats’ bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) were cultured and their responsiveness to bleomycin was evaluated by Cell Counting Kit-8, comet assay, transwell migration, and wound healing assays. Rat IVDD models were created by puncture and rescued by bleomycin injection, and the effectiveness was evaluated by images (X-ray and MRI) and atomic force microscope. Results Histological examination showed increased levels of pro-fibrotic markers in IVDD tissues from patients. AF cells and BMSC cells were induced to adopt a pro-fibrotic phenotype with increased expression fibrotic markers Col1a1, Col3a1, and FSP1. The pro-fibrotic effect of bleomycin on AF cells and BMSCs was in part due to the activation of the TGFβ-TGFβR1-SMAD2/3 signaling pathway. Pharmacological inhibition or gene knock-down of TGFβR1 could mitigate the pro-fibrotic effects. Conclusion Locally, injection of bleomycin in rats’ IVD induced rapid fibrosis and maintained its height through the TGFβ-TGFβR1-SMAD2/3 signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Yang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopedic Implants, Department of Orthopedics, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai, 200011, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiqian Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopedic Implants, Department of Orthopedics, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai, 200011, People's Republic of China
| | - Chen Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopedic Implants, Department of Orthopedics, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai, 200011, People's Republic of China
| | - Chen Han
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopedic Implants, Department of Orthopedics, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai, 200011, People's Republic of China
| | - Yifan Zhou
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopedic Implants, Department of Orthopedics, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai, 200011, People's Republic of China
| | - Xunlin Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopedic Implants, Department of Orthopedics, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai, 200011, People's Republic of China
| | - Haijun Tian
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopedic Implants, Department of Orthopedics, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai, 200011, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaofei Cheng
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopedic Implants, Department of Orthopedics, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai, 200011, People's Republic of China
| | - Kai Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopedic Implants, Department of Orthopedics, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai, 200011, People's Republic of China
| | - An Qin
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopedic Implants, Department of Orthopedics, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai, 200011, People's Republic of China.
| | - Tangjun Zhou
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopedic Implants, Department of Orthopedics, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai, 200011, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jie Zhao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopedic Implants, Department of Orthopedics, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai, 200011, People's Republic of China.
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Qiu M, An M, Bian M, Yu S, Liu C, Liu Q. Terrestrosin D from Tribulus terrestris attenuates bleomycin-induced inflammation and suppresses fibrotic changes in the lungs of mice. PHARMACEUTICAL BIOLOGY 2019; 57:694-700. [PMID: 31608748 PMCID: PMC6807862 DOI: 10.1080/13880209.2019.1672754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Context: Terrestrosin D (TED), from Tribulus terrestris L. (Zygophyllaceae), exhibits anti-tumour and anti-inflammatory activities. However, its effects on bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary inflammation and the subsequent fibrotic changes remain unclear. Objective: To examine the anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects of TED against BLM in murine pulmonary tissues. Materials and methods: Male SPF mice received saline (control), TED (10 mg/kg), BLM (2.5 mg/kg), or BLM (2.5 mg/kg) + TED (10 mg/kg) group. BLM was administered as a single intranasal inoculation, and TED was intraperitoneally administered once daily. After 2 and 6 weeks of treatment, cell number and differentiation (Giemsa staining) and TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, TGF-β1, and PDGF-AB levels (ELISA) were determined in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Hydroxyproline (Hyp) content in the left pulmonary tissue was also determined (ELISA). The right pulmonary tissue was H&E-stained and assessed for the severity of pulmonary fibrosis using the Ashcroft scoring method. Compared with the BLM group, TED decreased inflammatory cell infiltration; number of macrophages (p < 0.05), neutrophils (p < 0.05), lymphocytes (p < 0.05); percentage of macrophages in the monocyte-macrophage system (p < 0.05), and levels of TNF-α (p < 0.01), IL-6 (p < 0.01), IL-8 (p < 0.05), TGF-β1 (p < 0.05), and PDGF-AB (p < 0.05) in the BALF. TED also reduced Hyp content (p < 0.05) in the pulmonary tissue and attenuated the BLM-induced deterioration in lung histopathology. Discussion and conclusions: TED can inhibit BLM-induced inflammation and fibrosis in the lungs of mice, which may be related to reduced inflammatory and fibrotic markers. These results could be further tested in humans through clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Qiu
- Department of Pharmacy, Baotou Medical College, Baotou, China
| | - Ming An
- Department of Pharmacy, Baotou Medical College, Baotou, China
| | - Mengni Bian
- Department of Pharmacy, Baotou Medical College, Baotou, China
| | - Shunbang Yu
- School of Health Sciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia
| | - Changxiao Liu
- Tianjin Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Tianjin, China
| | - Quanli Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, Baotou Medical College, Baotou, China
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