Caffeic acid phenethyl ester and vitamin E moderates IL-1β and IL-6 in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), which has been demonstrated to have antiinflammatory, antiproliferative, anticancerogenic, and antioxidant effects, and vitamin E on IL-1β and IL-6 in bleomycin-induced (BLM-induced) pulmonary fibrosis in rats. Thirty-two Sprague-Dawley rats were divided randomly into four groups as untreated control, bleomycin, bleomycin + CAPE, and bleomycin + vitamin E groups. At the end of the treatment, blood IL-1β and IL-6 levels were quantified. Bleomycin application to the rats resulted in a significant increase in the cytokine levels as compared to the controls. Administration of CAPE and vitamin E prevented the increase of blood IL-1β and IL-6 levels compared to the rats treated with bleomycin alone. Data presented here suggest that CAPE and vitamin E play a protective and moderator role against BLM-induced lung injuries by decreasing the primary inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1β and IL-6.