[The mechanisms and effects of panax notoginside and methylprednisolone in a rat model of pulmonary fibrosis].

OBJECTIVE

To study the effects of panax notoginside (PNS) and methylprednisolone (solu-medrol) on the development of pulmonary fibrosis and the possible underlining mechanisms.

METHODS

Rats were divided into 3 groups: pulmonary fibrosis group, PNS treated group and solu-medrol treated group. On days 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 after bleomycin treatment, 5 rats in each group were killed and the lungs and plasma were harvested for histopathological studies, immunohistochemical determination of collagen I and III and ELISA detection of MIP-1alpha and MCP-1.

RESULTS

The degrees of fibrosis, the levels of collagen I and III, and the levels of MIP-1alpha and MCP-1 decreased significantly in the PNS and solu-medrol treated groups as compared with the fibrosis group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Both PNS and solu-medrol are effective in modulating the process of pulmonary fibrosis induced by bleomycin in rats.