Résumé
This article was aimed to study the mechanism of Liu-Wei Bu-Qi (LWBQ) Capsules among rat models of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) accompanied with reduced lung function based on MMPs/TIMPs and Th1/Th2. A total of 75 rats were randomly divided into the normal group, model group, LWBQ group, Jin-Shui-Bao (JSB) group, spleen aminopeptidase group. Except the normal group, smoke plus lipopolysaccharide tracheal instil-lation method was applied among rats in other groups to establish COPD rat model. Medication was given on the 28th day after the model was established. The medication was given for 30 days. Observation was given on changes of lung histology, lung function, interleukin (IL)-4, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-9) and MMPs inhibitor 1(TIMP-1). The results showed that compared with the normal group, in the model group, lung tis-sues was damaged, and lung function was obviously reduced, while the level of inflammatory factor such as IL-1β, IFN-γ, Th1/Th2 were obvious increased (P< 0.05 or P< 0.01); while inflammation-inhibiting factors such as IL-4 and IL-35 were obviously decreased (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01); MMP-9 gene and protein expression of lung tissues were obviously increased (P< 0.05 or P< 0.01); TIMP-1 gene and protein expression were obviously decreased (P< 0.05 or P < 0.01). After medication, compared with the model group, in the LWBQ group, IFN-γ and Th1/Th2 were obviously decreased (P< 0.05 or P< 0.01); MMP-9 gene and protein expression were obviously decreased (P< 0.05 or P < 0.01); TIMP-1 expression was obviously increased (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Compared with the JSB group and spleen aminopeptidase group, the lung function and TIMP1 gene protein expression were increased, while MMP-9 and Th1/Th2 expression were obviously decreased (P < 0.05). It was concluded that LWBQ Capsules up-regulate IL-4 and TIMP-1, downregulate IFN-γ, Th1/ Th2 and MMP-9 expression, in order to reduce inflammatory response and improve lung function among COPD cases.