Evaluating pulmonary toxicity of Shuang-Huang-Lian in vitro and in vivo

Shuang-Huang-Lian (SHL) decreased the cell viability and reduced secretion of IL-6 and IL-8 in vitro. Intratracheal sprayed SHL at doses of up to 6 mg/kg showed no sign of adverse effects in vivo. However, inhaled SHL at elevated doses appeared to induce alveolar fusion in the lung and significant increases in the cell number of monocytes and granulocytes in the BALF.