title: Antifibrosis effects of triterpene acids of Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl. leaf in a rat model of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the prophylactic effect and some mechanisms of action of triterpene acids of loquat (TAL) on bleomycin A5-induced pulmonary fibrosis rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  A model of pulmonary fibrosis was induced by injecting rats with a single dose of bleomycin A5 (5 mg/kg) into the trachea. From the second day, rats in the preventive groups were treated with TAL (50, 150 or 450 mg/kg) or dexamethasone (1.2 mg/kg). On the 28th day after medication, the rats were killed and haematoxylin-eosin or masson staining was used to evaluate the degree of pulmonary fibrosis. Tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) levels in alveolar macrophage culture supernatant were detected by ELISA. The mRNA expression of TNF-α and TGF-β1 in alveolar macrophage was observed by RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lung histopathological examination showed TAL could ameliorate the structure of the lung and alleviate fibrogenesis. At the same time, TAL (150 or 450 mg/kg dose group) could reduce the expression of TNF-α and TGF-β1 in alveolar macrophage of rats with pulmonary fibrosis at either the protein or mRNA level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TAL had a positive prophylactic effect on lung fibrosis, which might have been related to its reduction on TNF-α or TGF-β1 expression in the alveolar macrophage of pulmonary fibrosis rats.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University             Department of Pharmacy, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China.
authors.forename: Yaru
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xiongwen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Liping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yuanyuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001761:Bleomycin; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D031983:Eriobotrya / Q000737:chemistry*; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018515:Plant Leaves; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014132:Trachea; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D014315:Triterpenes; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D001761:Bleomycin