Li H, Wang YG, Chen TF, Gao YH, Song L, Yang YF, Gao Y, Huo W, Zhang GP. Panax notoginseng saponin alleviates pulmonary fibrosis in rats by modulating the renin-angiotensin system.
J Ethnopharmacol 2024;
318:116979. [PMID:
37532070 DOI:
10.1016/j.jep.2023.116979]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE
Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a chronic, progressive, and often fatal interstitial lung disease. Traditional Chinese medicine formulations and their active ingredients have shown potential in the treatment of PF. Panax notoginseng saponin (PNS) is extracted from the widely used traditional Chinese medicinal herb Panax notoginseng (Burkill) F. H. Chen, exhibiting therapeutic effects in pulmonary diseases treatment.
AIM OF THE STUDY
This study aimed to investigate the effects and elucidate possible potential mechanisms of PNS on bleomycin (BLM)-induced PF in rats.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
PF was induced in rats by intratracheal administration of bleomycin (BLM, 5 mg/kg). After disease model induction, the rats were treated with PNS (50, 100, or 200 mg/kg per day) or pirfenidone (PFD, 50 mg/kg per day) for 28 days. Lung function, histopathological changes, collagen deposition, and E- and N-cadherin levels in lung tissue were evaluated. The mechanism of action of PNS was investigated using tandem mass tag-based quantitative proteomics analysis. Immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and Western blot analysis were performed to verify the proteomic results.
RESULTS
PNS treatment improved lung function, ameliorated the BLM-induced increase in the lung coefficient, attenuated the degree of alveolar inflammation and fibrosis, and reduced the elevated collagen level in PF rats. PNS treatment also down-regulated the expression of N-cadherin while up-regulating the expression of E-cadherin. Proteomic and bioinformatic analyses revealed that the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) was closely related to the therapeutic effect of PNS. Immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and ELISA results indicated that PNS exerted its anti-fibrotic effect via regulation of the balance between the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-angiotensin (Ang)II-AngII receptor type 1 (AT1R) and ACE2-Ang(1-7)-MasR axes.
CONCLUSIONS
PNS ameliorates BLM-induced PF in rats by modulating the RAS homeostasis, and is a new potential therapeutic agent for PF.
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