The therapeutic effect of Panax notoginseng on Bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in C57BL/6 mice

• Main Authors: Kuen-Daw Tsai, 蔡昆道
• Other Authors: Guang-Wei Chen
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2005
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/96032957182650686853

碩士 === 中國醫藥大學 === 中西醫結合研究所 === 93 === Evaluation of Panax notoginseng in treating Bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in C57BL/6 mice Kun-Tao Tsai Major Professor: Guang-Wei Chen Many etiologies can induce pulmonary fibrosis such as SARS, infection, drugs or autoimmune disease ..etc. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) still accounts for the most common cause. Patient with IPF has a median survival of 4 to 5 years after onset of symptoms. In reviewed literatures, we find that inflammatory response and mesenchymal proliferation play a major role in the development of pulmonary fibrosis. Once microinsults spread into lung, it will damage alveolar epithelium, vascular endothelium, and induces inflammatory response and release of many immunomodulators (cytokines, chemokines, growth factor) followed by migration, proliferation of fibroblast, excessive secretion of extracellular matrix and progression to fibrosis. If pulmonary fibrosis developed, it will result in loss of gas exchange, disability, and gradually respiratory failure. On therapy, corticosteroid is still the mainstay assisted by cytotoxic agents, inhibitors of inflammatory mediators or antioxidants. However, the efficacy of any combination is always limited. To fight this extremely contagious and fatal disease, it is urgently to find effective therapeutic agents to slow the disease progression. In the present study, an in vivo animal model (bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis) for assessment of the therapeutic efficacy of certain Chinese medicine in management of pulmonary fibrosis has been established. We assessed the anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and anti-lung-fibrotic effects of traditional Chinese medicines for treatment of pulmonary fibrosis. We found that feeding the mice with Panax notogiseng (PN) 0.5 mg/kg/day for the 2nd day and 7th day post administration of bleomycin. Cytokines from broncho-alveolar larvage fluid were analyzed. Result showed that PN inhibited the release of bleomycin triggered pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β、IL-6、TNF-α) and obviously reduced the production of TGF-β, especially in the group of mice 7th day treated with PN. These results were confirmed by Hematoxylin and Sirius Red stain. Taken together, our observations indicated that PN effectively inhibited bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice especially 7 days later post administering bleomycin, suggest that PN has therapeutic potency in treatment of the patients with pulmonary fibrosis.