Preventive effect of hochu-ekki-to, a Japanese herbal medicine, on bleomycin-induced lung injury in mice.
OBJECTIVE
Pulmonary fibrosis is thought to be closely associated with the T-helper type-2 (Th2) immune response. Recent studies have shown that hochu-ekki-to (TJ-41), a Japanese herbal medicine, may correct the Th1/Th2 imbalance skewed to Th2. The present study was designed to investigate the preventive effect of TJ-41 on the development of bleomycin (BLM)-induced lung injury in mice.


METHODS
Female C57BL/6 mice were divided into a group given ordinary feed and another group given the same feed plus TJ-41 mixed in at a dose of 1 g/kg/day. Both groups were maintained on this diet for 8 weeks before and 5 weeks after administration of 2 mg/kg BLM intratracheally.


RESULTS
Mortality after BLM-induced lung injury was significantly lower in the TJ-41-treated mice. The hydroxyproline content and fluid content in the lung on day 35 was significantly lower in the TJ-41-treated mice. Histologically, TJ-41 reduced the number of infiltrating cells, thus ameliorating the destruction of the lung architecture, and attenuated the lung fibrosis score. Furthermore, TJ-41 inhibited the expression of the interleukin-5/interferon-gamma mRNA ratio in the lung on day 7.


CONCLUSIONS
Treatment with TJ-41 partially prevented experimental lung fibrosis through the correction of the Th1/Th2 imbalance skewed to Th2.
Tajima
Shunji
S
Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan. tajimash@med.niigata-u.ac.jp
Bando
Masashi
M
Yamasawa
Hideaki
H
Ohno
Shoji
S
Moriyama
Hiroshi
H
Terada
Masaki
M
Takada
Toshinori
T
Suzuki
Eiichi
E
Gejyo
Fumitake
F
Sugiyama
Yukihiko
Y
D000818:Animals; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000009:adverse effects; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000009:adverse effects; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006909:Hydroxyproline; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D015848:Interleukin-5; C402943:bu-zhong-yi-qi-tang; D001761:Bleomycin; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D006909:Hydroxyproline