The Study on Effect and Mechanism of Artesunate in Treating Experimental Pulmonary Fibrosis in Rats

Objective To observe and compare the effect and the mechanism of artesunate and hormone in treating pulmonary fibrosis.Methods Pulmonary fibrosis model was constituted by injecting bleomycin in tracheas of rats,28 days later,treated with Methyllprednisolone or artesumate injected in cavum-abdominis,killing animals on the 7th,14th,21st,28th day.Determined concentration of TGF-β1,TNF-α in serum;estimated the extent of alveolar catarrh in lung tissue and pulmonary fibrosis by HE and Masson staining.Results The levels of TGF-β1 and TNF-α in dose artesunate group and Methyllprednisolone group were obviously lower than those in model group(P 0.05);However,the levels of TGF-β1,TNF-α between high-dose artesunate group and Methyllprednisolone group had no obvious reduction(P 0.05);The degree of alve-olar catarrh in lung tissue and pulmonary fibrosis in the light microscope reduced in all dose artesunate group and methyllprednisolone group more than in model group.Conclusion Artesunate reduces expression of TGF-β1 and TNF-α in pulmonary fibrosis in rat,obviously reduces the extent of pulmonary fibrosis,and its effective ways in treating pulmonary fibrosis are consistent with methyllprednisolone.