Feitai, a Chinese herbal medicine, reduces transforming growth factor-beta1 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 expression in bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis in mice.

ABSTRACT

Feitai, a Chinese medicine formulation, has been shown to protect against lung fibrosis induced by bleomycin (BLM). In the present study, we investigated the effect of Feitai on transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), which play important roles in the pathogenesis of BLM-induced lung fibrosis. The results demonstrated that Feitai could significantly attenuate BLM-induced acute lung inflammation and subsequent lung fibrosis. Meanwhile, the expression of MCP-1 and TGF-beta1 mRNA in the lungs increased in the BLM-treated group compared with the saline-instilled control group and Feitai treatment significantly decreased cytokine expression in BLM-treated mice. In addition, Feitai diminished the accumulation of MCP-1- and TGF-beta1-positive cells in lung tissues at the time of peak mRNA levels. In summary, the results of the present study indicate that treatment with Feitai ameliorates BLM-induced lung fibrosis, at least in part via the inhibition of MCP-1 and TGF-beta1 expression.