title: Astragalus injection attenuates bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis via down-regulating Jagged1/Notch1 in lungs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Inhibition of Notch signalling is a potential therapeutic strategy for pulmonary fibrosis. This study was designed to investigate the antifibrosis effects and possible mechanism of astragalus injection (AI) on bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pulmonary fibrosis was induced by intratracheal instillation of bleomycin (5 mg/kg) in male SD rats. All rats received daily intraperitoneally administration of dexamethasone (DEX, 3 mg/kg), astragalus injection (AI, 8 g/kg) or saline 1 day after bleomycin instillation daily for 28 days. Histological changes in the lung were evaluated by haematoxylin and eosin and Masson's trichrome staining. The expression of α-smooth muscle protein (α-SMA) was assayed by immunohistochemical (IHC). The mRNA and protein level of Jagged1, Notch1 and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) was analysed by qPCR and Western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BLM-induced severe alveolitis and pulmonary fibrosis; together with significant elevation of α-SMA, TGF-β1, Jagged1 and Notch1. Astragalus injection (AI, 8 g/kg) administration notably attenuated the degree of alveolitis and lung fibrosis, and markedly reduced the elevated levels of α-SMA, TGF-β1, Jagged1 and Notch1 in lungs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Astragalus injection (AI, 8 g/kg) may exert protective effects on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis via downregulating Jagged1/Notch1 in lung.
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care Unit, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Functional Laboratory, West China School of Preclinical and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Shiping
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care Unit, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Zhongwei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care Unit, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, West China School of Preclinical and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.|Sichuan University 985 project - Science and Technology Innovation Platform for Novel Drug Development', Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Lihong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wan
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D027883:Astragalus Plant / Q000737:chemistry*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D000072100:Jagged-1 Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D051881:Receptor, Notch1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D001761:Bleomycin; D000072100:Jagged-1 Protein; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051881:Receptor, Notch1; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; C497763:Notch1 protein, rat; C498862:Acta2 protein, rat
keywords: Jagged1/Notch1; TGF-β1; astragalus injection; bleomycin; pulmonary fibrosis