Dexamethasone reduces serum level of IL-17 in Bleomycin-A5-induced rats model of pulmonary fibrosis

摘要

Abstract Background: Pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic progressive disease with limited therapeutic options and inflammatory cytokines play important roles in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis. Material and method: Here, we investigated the changes of TGF-β1, IL-8, and IL-17 in the serum of bleomycin-A5-induced rats model of pulmonary fibrosis. 120 healthy male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups, the control group (n?=?30), the model group (n?=?45) and the dexamethasone (DEX) group (n?=?45). The rats of both model group and DEX group were injected with Bleomycin-A5 (5?mg/kg) through tracheofistulization to induce pulmonary fibrosis, while the rats of the control group were injected with equivalent physiological saline. After operation, DEX (4?mg/kg) was given to the DEX group rats intraperitoneally once a day. Equivalent saline was administered to rats of both the control group and the model group. Results: On the 1st, 14th, and 28th day after operation, pathological changes of the lung tissues, and the levels of serum IL-8, TGF-β1, and IL-17 were measured. The concentrations of serum TGF-β1, IL-8, and IL-17 were significantly increased after bleomycin-A5 treatment, especially on the 14th day (p?p??.01). Conclusions: DEX protect bleomycin-A5-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats through reduced the level of IL-17 in serum.