Abstract: AIM: To investigate the mechanism of paeonol on airway remodeling in COPD rats.METHODS: The model of airway remodeling in COPD was replicated by stimulating the trachea directly with endotoxin. Then the rats were treated with paeonol (75, 150, 300 mg/kg) by gavage for 8 weeks. The sham-operated rats were taken as the control group, and prednisone was chosen as the positive control medicine. Content of malondialdehyde (MDA) was determined by thiobarbituric acid (TBA) method, colorimetric method for the determination of glutathione (GSH), spectrophotometric method for the superoxide dismutase (SOD), radioimmunoassay method for the fibronectin (FN), laminin (LN), IV collagen in serum, and chloramine-T method for the content of hydroxyproline (Hyp) in pulmonary tissue, respectively. The levels of TNF-α, IL-8 and IL-6 in serum and pulmonary tissue homogenate were detected by ELISA method. The area of subcutaneous collagen in trachea was measured by immunohistochemical picture treated with the analysis software of true color medical images.RESULTS: Not only can paeonol obviously decrease the levels of MDA, IL-8, TNF-α, LN, IV-C, Hyp and increase the levels of GSH, SOD in serum and pulmonary tissue of the model animals, but also can inhibit the subcutaneous hyperplasia in the medium bronchial.CONCLUSION: Paeonol could intervene in airway remodeling in COPD by anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and suppressing the subcutaneous hyperplasia in the medium bronchial.

Key words: paeonol, intervention, airway remodeling