Baihe Gujin decoction attenuates idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis via regulating proline metabolism.

Abstract

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and fatal disease. Baihe Gujin decoction (BHGJ), a traditional Chinese medicine consisting of ten medicine food homology herbs, has shown therapeutic effects in various lung diseases; however, its efficacy in ameliorating IPF and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of BHGJ on IPF and investigate its potential mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We established a bleomycin (BLM)-induced IPF model and performed proteomic analysis. The therapeutic effects of BHGJ on IPF were assessed by measuring lung index, hydroxyproline (HYP) content, lung function parameters, and histopathological changes. Mechanistic insights were further explored using Western blot and RT-qPCR analyses. RESULTS: Our results demonstrated that BHGJ significantly alleviated BLM-induced IPF, improved lung function, reduced histopathological damage, and decreased collagen deposition. BHGF reduced apoptosis and inhibited EMT in TGF-β-induced A549 cells. Proteomic analysis revealed that its effects were associated with the modulation of the proline metabolism pathway. CONCLUSIONS: BHGJ effectively attenuated IPF progression via regulating proline metabolism, providing a potential therapeutic strategy for pulmonary fibrosis.