Amelioration of Cigarette Smoke-Induced Mucus Hypersecretion and Viscosity by Dendrobium officinale Polysaccharides In Vitro and In Vivo

Figure 5

Effect of DOPs on CS-induced mucus secretion and viscosity in rat lungs. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to sham air (SA) (as control) or cigarette smoke (CS) group for 56 days. At day 29, rats were subdivided and given water as control (SA and CS groups), two doses of DOPs (100 mg/kg b.wt. and 200 mg/kg b.wt.) (SD, CL, and CD groups), or N-acetylcysteine (NAC; 500 mg/kg b.wt. as positive control) (SN and CN groups) daily via oral gavage for the remaining duration. (a) Analysis of lung MUC5AC mRNA expression was carried out by real-time qPCR. (b) MUC5AC protein was quantitated by ELISA in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). (c) Mucus viscosity was measured using a Brookfield LVDV-II+Pro cone and plate digital viscometer with CP-40 spindle in BAL. Values are expressed as (). and for one-way ANOVA test with post hoc analysis (Bonferroni). ^#, ^##, and ^### for Student’s -test.

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