title: Therapeutic effect of Chinese medicine formula DSQRL on experimental pulmonary fibrosis.
abstract: Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a restrictive lung disease that may occur idiopathically or as a complication of many diseases. The outcome of the current treatment by glucocorticoids remains very unsatisfactory. This study has tested a new Chinese medicine formula DSQRL for the treatment of experimental PF in comparison with prednisone. Seventy-two rats with PF induced by CCl(4) were randomly divided into four groups to undertake the treatment of either (a) high dose of prednisone; (b) Chinese medicine formula DSQRL; (c) combined treatment of the above two; or (d) tap water of the same volume. At the end of 30 days treatment, the DSQRL treatment achieved a better outcome (p<0.05) than prednisone in terms of histological examination, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid analysis, hydroxyproline assay and complications. The observations support further investigation and clinical trials of this Chinese medicinal formula for the treatment of PF.
authors.affiliation: School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China. hqzhang@hkbu.edu.hk
authors.forename: Hong-Qi
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yu-Fung
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Yau
authors.forename: Kit-Ying
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Szeto
authors.forename: Wai-Tak
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006909:Hydroxyproline / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D011241:Prednisone / Q000494:pharmacology; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D003094:Collagen; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D006909:Hydroxyproline; D011241:Prednisone