[Protection of Angelica sinensis against radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the Angelica Sinensis as a protecting agent affecting the radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis in an animal model,


METHODS
The thoraces of C57BL/6 mice were exposed to either sham irradiation or single fraction of 12 Gy. Four groups were defined: that received neither irradiation nor Angelica Sinensis (N group), that received Angelica Sinensis but no irradiation (A group), that underwent irradiation without Angelica Sinensis (NX group) and that received both Angelica Sinensis and irradiation (AX group). Mice were sacrificed at 1, 24, 72 hours and 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24 weeks post-irradiation. The lungs tissue were removed and processed for definitive analysis, including hydroxyproline content, HE and Masson staining, and the TGF-beta1, (Transforming Growth Factor beta1, TGF-beta1) mRNA expressions.


RESULTS
Compared with N and A group, there was some differences in the AX group, but a significant histological and pathologic changes in NX group. Non-irradiated groups (N and A group) exhibited low levels of hydroxyproline (0.775 +/- 0.024) microg/mg and (0.751 +/- 0.034) microg/mg, and there was a significantly elevated level of hydroxyproline in NX group (0.875 +/- 0.009) microg/mg (P < 0.05). AX group (0.782 +/- 0.010) microg/mg was in between the non-irradiated groups (N and A group) and the radiation-only group (NX group), and the difference between AX group and NX group was significant (P < 0.01). The results of real-time quantitative RT-PCR showed that the relative mRNA expressions of cytokine TGF-beta1 in NX group(249.655 +/- 16.320) was significantly higher than that in group A (1.254 +/- 0.061) and N (1.324 +/- 0.057) (P < 0.01), and that in AX group (108.076 +/- 9.870) decreased than that of NX group (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
An animal model of mice with radiation-induced lung injure was established successfully. This study has demonstrated that Angelica sinensis in Hibits the progress of radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis, Possibly by down-regulating the expression of the proinflammatory cytokine Tgfb1. These data suggest that Angelica sinensis maybe useful in preventing and/or treating radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis in the clinic.
Zhong
Ya-hau
YH
Department of Radio-Chemotherapy, Zhongnan Hospital and Cancer Research Center, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China.
Han
Guang
G
Zhou
Yun-feng
YF
Peng
Min
M
Xie
Cong-hua
CH
Zhou
Fu-xiang
FX
Zhang
Wen-jie
WJ
D029971:Angelica sinensis; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008517:Phytotherapy; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D011833:Radiation Injuries, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000378:metabolism
D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1