The Effect of Rehmanniae Radix on Bleomycin-induced Lung Fibrosis

Ryu, Han-Chon; Rhee, Hyung-Gu; Jung, Sung-Ki; Jung, Hee-Jae

The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine > Volume 25(2); 2004 > Article

Original Article

The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine 2004;25(2): 298-306.

熟地黃이 Bleomycin에 의한 肺纖維化에 미치는 影響

류한천¹, 이형구¹, 정승기¹, 정희재²

The Effect of Rehmanniae Radix on Bleomycin-induced Lung Fibrosis

Han-Chon Ryu¹, Hyung-Gu Rhee¹, Sung-Ki Jung¹, Hee-Jae Jung²

¹Division of Respiratory System, Collage of Oriental Medicine, Kyunghee University Seoul, Korea
²Department of Internal Medicine, Collage of Oriental Medicine, Kyunghee University Seoul, Korea

Correspondence

Han-Chon Ryu ,Tel: 02)320-7807~8, Fax: 02)334-6746, Email: ryu11000@hanmail.net

Received: May 11, 2004, Accepted: May 18, 2004, Published online: June 30, 2004.

ABSTRACT

Objective :
The main purpose of this study was to determine if Rehmanniae Radix has significant effects on lung fibrosis.

Materials and Methods :
C57BL/6J mice were devided into three groups. These were the normal group, which were not treated, the control group, given Intratracheal instillation(IT) of Bleomycin, the sample group, given IT of bleomycin and water-extracted Rehmanniae Radix. Animals were sacrificed 14 days after IT treatment. Lung fibrosis was evaluated by analysis of bronchoalveolar larvage(BAL) total WBC, percentage of macrophage, lymphocyte and neutrophil. This was done histologically by semiquantitative histological index(SHI) of lung tissue.

Results:
The sample group in coparison with control group showed a decrease in the BAL, total WBC, lower percentage of lymphocyte and neutrophil(p < 0.05) and correspondingly a lower percentage of macrophage(p < 0.01). The Sample group showed a significant decrease of collagen accumulation with respect to the control group in SHI of lung tissue(p < 0.01). INF-γand IL-4 levels in BALF of mice significantly decreased in the control group(p < 0.05).

Conclusions:
Results suggest that Rehmanniae Radix has an anti-imflamatory effect and anti-fibrotic effect on the lungs through decrease of IL-4 and total WBC count for not only macrophage, but also lymphocyte and neutrophil. The degradation of INF-γcalls for research beyond the scope of this study.

Key words: Rehmanniae Radix, lung fibrosis, IL-4, INF-γ, macrophage