Therapeutic Effects of Qifangfeixian Granules on Pulmonary Fibrosis in Patients with Interstitial Lung Disease

Objective: To investigate the curative effect of the Qifangfeixian granule on interstitial lung disease (ILD).

Methods: This study combined animal experiments and clinical trials. Pathological changes in bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice were assessed using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), Masson, and Sirius Red staining. In the clinical study, 40 ILD patients were enrolled, with 20 in the control group and 20 in the treatment group. The treatment group received Qifangfeixian granules in addition to standard therapy for 12 weeks. Pulmonary function parameters, including forced vital capacity (FVC, L), FVC_pred%, diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO, mmol/min/kPa), and DLCO_pred%, were measured before and after treatment.

Results: Compared with those of the control group, the inflammatory infiltration and Collagen fibres in the BLM group were significantly increased, and the inflammatory infiltration and Collagen fibres in the BLM group were significantly reduced after Qifangfeixian granule treatment. Compared with those in the control group, the lung function parameters in the treatment group were significantly improved. Specifically, the FVC increased by +0.10 ± 0.18 L in the treatment group, whereas the control group showed a decrease of -0.05 ± 0.21 L (P = 0.008). Additionally, FVC_pred% was improved significantly in the treatment group (+2.6% ± 5.3%) compared with the control group (-2.0% ± 6.7%, P = 0.009).

Conclusion: Qifangfeixian granules can improve not only the pulmonary fibrosis of BLM-induced model mice but also the pulmonary function of patients with ILD in practice, and their clinical efficacy is accurate.

Bleomycin; Interstitial lung diseases; Pulmonary fibrosis; Pulmonary function test; Qifangfeixian granule; Smad proteins; Traditional Chinese Medicine; Transforming growth factor beta.