title: Effect of Feining on bleomycin-induced pulmonary injuries in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The flowers of Gentiana veitchiorum has been widely used in decoction form in the traditional medicine of Tibet against tussis, tracheitis, angina for their anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and alexipharmic properties.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of current study was to evaluate the therapeutic effects of Feining, a Chinese herbal formula (national invention patent: ZL200510042636.3) against pulmonary injuries and to clarify the mechanisms involved.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental pulmonary injuries were induced by bleomycin (BLM) in rats with or without subsequent treatment of Feining or prednisone as positive control. The pulmonary injuries were evaluated by histological analysis. Also, the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH) and hydroxyproline (Hyp) in the lung tissue were determined. To clarify one of the possible active principles responsible for Feining, high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector-mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS) method was applied to identify the components of Gentiana veitchiorum, one of major ingredients of Feining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Feining significantly improved lung alveolitis scores and reduced the Hyp content of lungs, which is an index of collagen accumulation. Moreover, Feining played a role against the oxidative damages by decreasing the MDA level, whereas increasing SOD and GSH activity, which correlated with oxidation resistance and scavenging of free radicals. In addition, Feining alleviated inflammatory lung injury by decreasing tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) expression. HPLC-DAD-MS analysis revealed that there was 1.97% gentiopicroside in Gentiana veitchiorum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Feining has certain therapeutic effects against pulmonary injuries.
authors.affiliation: Center of Teaching Experiment, School of Basic Medical Science, Fourth Military Medical University, 17 Changle West Road, Xi'an 710032, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiangyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Qiong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Zhangrui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Fang'e
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jiankang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yufeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Xiaojun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xingchun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Nannan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Ru
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tie
authors.forename: Libing
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000633:toxicity*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D030012:Gentiana / Q000737:chemistry*; D057888:Iridoid Glucosides / Q000032:analysis; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization
chemical_list: D057888:Iridoid Glucosides; D010936:Plant Extracts; C012997:gentiopicroside; D001761:Bleomycin