Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Revista Portuguesa de Pneumologia, cilt.18, sa.6, ss.272-277, 2012 (SCI-Expanded)
Objective: Prostacyclin (PGI2) has been shown to inhibit the expression of pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic mediators in pulmonary fibrosis. In this study, we aimed to test the preventive effects of intraperitoneally administered iloprost, a stable PGI2 analog, on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats and to compare the effects of iloprost with the effects of methyl-prednisolone, a traditional therapy. Methods: Rats were randomly allocated into four groups: 1. Saline alone (. n=. 6); 2. Bleomycin. +. placebo (. n=. 7); 3. Bleomycin. +. methyl-prednisolone (. n=. 7); 4. Bleomycin. +. iloprost (. n=. 7). Fibrotic changes in the lungs were demonstrated by analyzing the cellular composition of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, histological evaluation and lung hydroxyproline content. Results: Fibrosis was made in the lungs of rats by bleomycin experimentally. Fibrosis scores in the methyl-prednisolone and the iloprost groups were significantly lower than in the placebo group (. p<. 0.05). Furthermore, the score of the iloprost group was significantly lower than the score of the methyl-prednisolone group. The hydroxyproline content was significantly less in the methyl-prednisolone and the iloprost groups (. p<. 0.05). In the placebo group, the neutrophil percentage in bronchoalveolar lavage was significantly higher than in the other groups, whereas the macrophage percentage in placebo group was significantly lower (. p<. 0.05). Conclusion: Iloprost has protective effect on the pulmonary fibrosis induced by bleomycin and it may be more effective in decreasing fibrotic changes than methyl-prednisolone. © 2011 Sociedade Portuguesa de Pneumologia.