The effect of a liver-X-receptor ligand on bleomycin induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice

•We made animal model of pulmonary fibrosis with bleomycin.•We found LXRs agonist T0901317 can attenuate bleomycin induced pulmonary fibrosis.•After bleomycin treatment, T0901317 can inhibit expression of cytokines and TGF-β1.•T0901317 can also inhibit NF-κB activity and I κBα degradation.

The liver-X-receptors have shown anti-fibrosis ability in several animal models. Our purpose was to investigate the effect of LXRs in bleomycin induced lung fibrosis in mice. Bleomycin was intratracheally delivered to mice. Some mice were administered a LXR agonist, T0901317. Then mice were evaluated for the development of lung inflammation and fibrosis. T0901317 was able to attenuate the inflammation and fibrosis induced by bleomycin. T0901317 treatment evidently abolished the high level of TGF-β1 and inhibited NF-κB DNA-binding activity in lung. So LXRs may attenuate the progressing of lung fibrosis, providing a potential treatment of IPF.