Objectives: This study aims to discuss the function and molecular mechanism of artesunate in resisting pulmonary fibrosis.
Methods: Artesunate was used to stimulate the HFL-I cell line, which restrains the expression of Smad7 protein. Under different conditions, all treatment factors were checked, including Smad7, p-P38, ERK, and p-JNK protein expressions. Flow cytometry was used to detect the cell cycle. For the silent expression of the p-Smad7 protein, Western blot analysis revealed that Smad7, p-P38, and p-JNK proteins decreased compared with those of the non-treatment group.
Results: No significant changes were observed in Smad7, p-P38, and p-JNK proteins after the cells with silent p-Smad7 protein expression were stimulated by artesunate (p > 0.5). No significant changes were observed in the expression of Smad7, p-P38, and p-JNK proteins after using TGF-β1 recombination factor to cells whose p-Smad7 protein expression is silent (p > 0.5).
Conclusions: Artesunate blocks the MAPK cell conduction pathway through Smad7 to restrain idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.