Houttuynia cordata inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced rapid pulmonary fibrosis by up-regulating IFN-γ and inhibiting the TGF-β1/Smad pathway

Traditionally, acute lung injury (ALI) causes pneumonedema and matrix lesions, rather than pulmonary fibrosis. However, the common characteristics of some new diseases, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) first studied in 2003, avian influenza first studied in 2008, and the swine influenza pandemic first studied in 2009, suggest that ALI may initiate these pathologies, and in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with rapid pulmonary fibrosis (RPF), ALI can be the most important lethal factor in the short-term. Acute exacerbations of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and the mechanisms of repair and remodeling in acute lung injury have recently gained much attention. Based on the common charac-teristics and mechanisms of these diseases, we established a new RPF model that could be induced by ALI via a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) three-hit regimen and found that days 3–7 and 14–21 were two important time windows for RPF.

‍