[Spironolactone ameliorates rat pulmonary fibrosis induced by bleomycin A5].

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of aldosterone in pulmonary fibrosis and the protective effect of anti-aldosterone treatment.

METHOD: Rats were divided into control, fibrosis and treatment groups; rat pulmonary fibrosis was induced by endotracheal injection of bleomycin A5 and spironolactone was given 100 mg/kg daily in drinking water to treatment group. 28 days later, plasma, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF) and tissue aldosterone concentration, as well as lung collagen levels, were determined.

RESULT: Plasma aldosterone was higher in fibrosis group than that in control group(469 +/- 161 pg/ml and 319 +/- 115 pg/ml, respectively), but without significant difference (P > 0.05); spironolactone could ameliorate the extent of pulmonary fibrosis, the level of lung collagen was 25% less than that of fibrosis group (3.4 +/- 0.5 mg/g lung and 4.6 +/- 1.2 mg/g lung, respectively; q = 3.7893, P < 0.05), and the level of lung protein was 22% less (50 +/- 4 mg/g lung and 65 +/- 6 mg/g lung, respectively; P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Spironolactone had some protective effects on pulmonary fibrosis, and aldosterone might play a role in the development of pulmonary fibrosis.