Glycyrrhetinic acid alleviates radiation-induced lung injury in mice.
Radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) is a common complication of thoracic radiotherapy, but efficacious therapy for RILI is lacking. This study ascertained whether glycyrrhetinic acid (GA; a functional hydrolyzed product of glycyrrhizic acid, which is extracted from herb licorice) can protect against RILI and investigated its relationship to the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1/Smads signaling pathway. C57BL/6 mice were divided into four groups: a control group, a GA group and two irradiation (IR) groups. IR groups were exposed to a single fraction of X-rays (12 Gy) to the thorax and administered normal saline (IR + NS group) or GA (IR + GA group). Two days and 17 days after irradiation, histologic analyses were performed to assess the degree of lung injury, and the expression of TGF-β1, Smad2, Smad3 and Smad7 was recorded. GA administration mitigated the histologic changes of lung injury 2 days and 17 days after irradiation. Protein and mRNA expression of TGF-β1, Smad2 and Smad3, and the mRNA level of Smad7, in lung tissue were significantly elevated after irradiation. GA decreased expression of TGF-β1, Smad2 and Smad3 in lung tissue, but did not increase Smad7 expression. GA can protect against early-stage RILI. This protective effect may be associated with inhibition of the TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway.
Department of Radiation Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, No. 20 Chazhong Road, Taijiang District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China.|Key Laboratory of Radiation Biology (Fujian Medical University), Fujian Province University, No. 20 Chazhong Road, Taijiang District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China.|Fujian Key Laboratory of Individualized Active Immunotherapy, Fujian Medical University, No. 20 Chazhong Road, Taijiang District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China.
Jinmei
J
Chen
Department of Radiation Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, No. 20 Chazhong Road, Taijiang District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China hjs703@126.com zwj9090@126.com.|Key Laboratory of Radiation Biology (Fujian Medical University), Fujian Province University, No. 20 Chazhong Road, Taijiang District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China.|Fujian Key Laboratory of Individualized Active Immunotherapy, Fujian Medical University, No. 20 Chazhong Road, Taijiang District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China.
Weijian
W
Zhang
Key Laboratory of Radiation Biology (Fujian Medical University), Fujian Province University, No. 20 Chazhong Road, Taijiang District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China.|Fujian Key Laboratory of Individualized Active Immunotherapy, Fujian Medical University, No. 20 Chazhong Road, Taijiang District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China.
Lurong
L
Zhang
Key Laboratory of Radiation Biology (Fujian Medical University), Fujian Province University, No. 20 Chazhong Road, Taijiang District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China.|Fujian Key Laboratory of Individualized Active Immunotherapy, Fujian Medical University, No. 20 Chazhong Road, Taijiang District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China.
Jiemin
J
Zhang
Department of Radiation Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, No. 20 Chazhong Road, Taijiang District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China.|Key Laboratory of Radiation Biology (Fujian Medical University), Fujian Province University, No. 20 Chazhong Road, Taijiang District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China.|Fujian Key Laboratory of Individualized Active Immunotherapy, Fujian Medical University, No. 20 Chazhong Road, Taijiang District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China.
Xiuying
X
Chen
Department of Radiation Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, No. 20 Chazhong Road, Taijiang District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China.
Meichun
M
Yang
Department of Radiation Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, No. 20 Chazhong Road, Taijiang District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China.
Ting
T
Chen
Department of Radiation Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, No. 20 Chazhong Road, Taijiang District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China hjs703@126.com zwj9090@126.com.|Key Laboratory of Radiation Biology (Fujian Medical University), Fujian Province University, No. 20 Chazhong Road, Taijiang District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China.|Fujian Key Laboratory of Individualized Active Immunotherapy, Fujian Medical University, No. 20 Chazhong Road, Taijiang District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China.
Jinsheng
J
Hong
D000818:Animals; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006034:Glycyrrhetinic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D055370:Lung Injury / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D051785:Smad Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D051785:Smad Proteins; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D006034:Glycyrrhetinic Acid
Smad; TGF-β1; glycyrrhetinic acid; pneumonia; thoracic irradiation
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