title: [Effects of methylprednisolone plus Xuebijing on bleomycin-induced acute exacerbation of pulmonary fibrosis in rats].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the effect of Xuebijing plus methylprednisolone in a rat model of pulmonary fibrosis induced by bleomycin.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups of control, model control, Xuebijing, methylprednisolone and combined treatment (Xuebijing plus methylprednisolone). Pulmonary fibrosis model was induced by an intra-tracheal injection of bleomycin. The treatment groups were administrated with 4.5 ml · kg(-1) · d(-1) Xuebijing and 4.5 ml · kg(-1) · d(-1) physiologic saline, 4.5 ml · kg(-1) · d(-1) methylprednisolone and 4.5 ml · kg(-1) · d(-1) physiologic saline, or 4.5 ml · kg(-1) · d(-1) methylprednisolone and 4.5 ml · kg(-1) · d(-1) Xuebijing respectively by intraperitoneal injection. And the control and model control groups received 9 ml · kg(-1) · d(-1) physiological saline. The animals were sacrificed at Days 14 and 28 respectively. The degrees of lung inflammation and pulmonary fibrosis were detected by hematoxylin & eosin and Masson staining. The serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expression of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in lung tissue was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared between the combined treatment and model control groups, at Days 14 and 28, the degree of alveolitis ((1.09 ± 0.30) vs (2.03 ± 0.25) and (0.75 ± 0.27) vs (1.78 ± 0.36) ng/L) , the degree of pulmonary fibrosis ((0.91 ± 0.19 )vs (1.34 ± 0.23) and (0.75 ± 0.27) vs (1.78 ± 0.36)) . The expression of TGF-β1 in lung tissue ((12.11 ± 3.06)% vs (17.70 ± 2.70)% & (10.96 ± 2.53)% vs (16.72 ± 2.20)%). And the serum level of TNF-α ((68.39 ± 9.28) vs (90.94 ± 11.16) ng/L & (67.14 ± 10.88) vs (81.73 ± 7.23) ng/L) all significantly decreased (all P < 0.05). At Day 14, the serum level of IL-6 in the combined treatment group significantly decreased as compared with the model control group ((199 ± 31) vs (250 ± 43)ng/L, P = 0.036). At Day 28, no statistic difference was found ( (192 ± 25) vs (227 ± 24)ng/L, P = 0.058).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combined treatment of methylprednisolone and Xuebijing is more effective in a rat model of pulmonary fibrosis. And its mechanism is associated with the reduced levels of IL-6 and TNF-α and TGF-β1 expression in lung tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, First Municipal People's Hospital, Hangzhou 310006, China.
authors.forename: Limin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, First Municipal People's Hospital, Hangzhou 310006, China.
authors.forename: Qinxing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, First Municipal People's Hospital, Hangzhou 310006, China.
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, First Municipal People's Hospital, Hangzhou 310006, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, First Municipal People's Hospital, Hangzhou 310006, China.
authors.forename: Jiaoli
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, First Municipal People's Hospital, Hangzhou 310006, China. Email: kycli@ 163.com.
authors.forename: Zhenyi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ren
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000009:adverse effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D015850:Interleukin-6; C508962:Tgfb1 protein, rat; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C549376:Xuebijing; D001761:Bleomycin; D008775:Methylprednisolone