Treatment effects of the traditional Chinese medicine Shenks in bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis through regulation of TGF-beta/Smad3 signaling and oxidative stress

Sci Rep. 2017 May 22;7(1):2252. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-02293-z.

Abstract

Pulmonary fibrosis is a kind of devastating interstitial lung disease due to the limited therapeutic strategies. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practices have put forth Shenks as a promising treatment approach. Here, we performed in vivo study and in vitro study to delineate the anti-fibrotic mechanisms behind Shenks treatment for pulmonary fibrosis. We found that regardless of the prophylactic or therapeutic treatment, Shenks was able to attenuate BLM-induced-fibrosis in mice, down regulate extracellular matrix genes expression, and reduce collagen production. The aberrantly high Smad3 phosphorylation levels and SBE activity in TGF-β-induced fibroblasts were dramatically decreased as a result of Shenks treatment. At the same time, Shenks was able to increase the expression of antioxidant-related genes, including Gclc and Ec-sod, while reduce the transcription levels of oxidative-related genes, such as Rac1 and Nox4 demonstrated by both in vivo and in vitro studies. Further investigations found that Shenks could decrease the oxidative productions of protein (3-nitrotyrosine) and lipid (malondialdehyde) and increase GSH content both in bleomycin treated mouse lungs and TGF-β stimulated fibroblasts, as well as inhibit the production of ROS stimulated by TGF-β to fight against oxidative stress. Overall, Shenks inhibited fibrosis by blocking TGF-β pathway and modulating the oxidant/antioxidant balance.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / adverse effects*
  • Biomarkers
  • Bleomycin / adverse effects*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Collagen / metabolism
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Fibroblasts / drug effects
  • Fibroblasts / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Medicine, Chinese Traditional*
  • Mice
  • Oxidation-Reduction / drug effects
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects*
  • Phosphorylation
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Pulmonary Fibrosis / drug therapy
  • Pulmonary Fibrosis / etiology*
  • Pulmonary Fibrosis / metabolism*
  • Pulmonary Fibrosis / pathology
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects*
  • Smad3 Protein / metabolism*
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta / metabolism*

Substances

  • Antibiotics, Antineoplastic
  • Biomarkers
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Smad3 Protein
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta
  • Bleomycin
  • Collagen