Angelica sinensis down-regulates hydroxyproline and Tgfb1 and provides protection in mice with radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis

Pulmonary fibrosis is a common delayed side effect of radiation therapy, and it has a poor prognosis. Tgfb1 is a potent chemoattractant for fibroblasts and stimulates the production of collagen, the protein that contains hydroxyproline. Since collagen is by far the most abundant protein in the lung, comprising 60-70% of the tissue mass, analysis of the hydroxyproline content in lung tissues provides a reliable quantitative index for pulmonary fibrosis. Thus hydroxyproline and Tgfb1 may be involved in the development of fibrosis. In this study, we investigated radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis in a mouse model. C57BL/6 mice were assigned into four groups: no treatment, treated with Angelica sinensis treated only, X-irradiated only (a single fraction of 12 Gy to the thorax), and Angelica sinensis treatment plus radiation. We assayed expression of hydroxyproline and the mRNA and protein of Tgfb1 in the four groups. We found that Angelica sinensis down-regulated the production of Tgfb1 and hydroxyproline in mice with radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis. This study has demonstrated for the first time that Angelica sinensis inhibits the progress of radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis, possibly by down-regulating the expression of the proinflammatory cytokine Tgfb1. These data suggest that Angelica sinensis may be useful in preventing and/or treating radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis in the clinic. (c) 2006 by Radiation Research Society.