Exploring the preventive effects of Jie Geng Tang on pulmonary fibrosis induced in vitro and in vivo: a network pharmacology approach.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a debilitating lung disease marked by excessive fibrotic tissue accumulation, which significantly impairs respiratory function. Given the limitations of current therapies, there is an increasing interest in exploring traditional herbal formulations like Jie Geng Tang (JGT) for treatment. This study examines the potential of JGT and its bioactive component, quercetin, in reversing bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. We employed a BLM-induced MLE-12 cell damage model for in vitro studies and a bleomycin-induced fibrosis model in C57BL/6 mice for in vivo experiments. In vitro assessments showed that JGT significantly enhanced cell viability and reduced apoptosis in MLE-12 cells treated with BLM. These findings underscore JGT's potential for cytoprotection against fibrotic agents. In vivo, JGT was effective in modulating the expression of E-cadherin and vimentin, key markers of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathway, indicating its role in mitigating EMT-associated fibrotic changes in lung tissue. Quercetin, identified through network pharmacology analysis as a potential key bioactive component of JGT, was highlighted for its role in the regulatory mechanisms underlying fibrosis progression, particularly through the modulation of the IL-17 pathway and Il6 expression. By targeting inflammatory pathways and key processes like EMT, JGT and quercetin offer a potent alternative to conventional therapies, meriting further clinical exploration to harness their full therapeutic potential in fibrotic diseases.