Experimental study of the protective effect of ambroxol on radiation-induced pulmonary injury

Objective To evaluate the protective effect of ambroxol on radiation induced pulmonary injury. Methods 240 BALB/c male mice were divided randomly into control group (C), irridiation alone (SI) and irridiation plus ambroxol (SI+A) groups. The right chests (size:2 cm×2.5 cm) of mice were irridiated by 4 MV linear accelerator for a total doses of 25 Gy,5 Gy/time,one time /day,5 time/week; ambroxol was orally administrered (50 mg·kg -1·d -1) from one week before irridiation until the mice were killed. Hydroxyproline content of lung-irridiated tissue and plasma TGF-β1 level were detected from 1 to 8 months. Results Hydroxyproline content increased starting from 3 month, reaching peak at 5 and 6 month. and it was higher is SI group than that in A+SI group; contents in A+SI group was also higher than that of C group in 5-6 months respectively. Cell ultramicro-structure of lung tissue was damaged at different level in 1 and 3 months, a large fribric tissue was even accumulated at 6 months in SI group, while above cases were obviously slight in SI+A group.Conclusions Irridiation could induce the hydroxyproline increase in lung-irridiated tissue, change plasma TGF-β1 level lung tissue, ambroxol may reduce the radiation lung injury.;