[Spironolactone ameliorates rat pulmonary fibrosis induced by bleomycin A5].
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of aldosterone in pulmonary fibrosis and the protective effect of anti-aldosterone treatment.


METHODS
Rats were divided into control, fibrosis and treatment groups; rat pulmonary fibrosis was induced by endotracheal injection of bleomycin A5 and spironolactone was given 100 mg/kg daily in drinking water to treatment group. 28 days later, plasma, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF) and tissue aldosterone concentration, as well as lung collagen levels, were determined.


RESULTS
Plasma aldosterone was higher in fibrosis group than that in control group(469 +/- 161 pg/ml and 319 +/- 115 pg/ml, respectively), but without significant difference (P > 0.05); spironolactone could ameliorate the extent of pulmonary fibrosis, the level of lung collagen was 25% less than that of fibrosis group (3.4 +/- 0.5 mg/g lung and 4.6 +/- 1.2 mg/g lung, respectively; q = 3.7893, P < 0.05), and the level of lung protein was 22% less (50 +/- 4 mg/g lung and 65 +/- 6 mg/g lung, respectively; P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Spironolactone had some protective effects on pulmonary fibrosis, and aldosterone might play a role in the development of pulmonary fibrosis.
Zhao
L
L
Division of Pulmonary Disease, Third Teaching Hospital, Beijing Medical University, Beijing, 100083.
Zhao
M
M
Fang
Q
Q
D000450:Aldosterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D000451:Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013148:Spironolactone / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000451:Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists; D001761:Bleomycin; D013148:Spironolactone; D000450:Aldosterone; C025703:bleomycetin; D003094:Collagen