Fig 1: (a) Gubenzhike recipe increased KGF content in lung tissues of mice with COPD. Immunohistochemical staining of KGF and KGFR was made, respectively, on the paraffin lung sections (A: blank control group, B: model group, C: high-dose Gubenzhike recipe group, D: medium-dose Gubenzhike recipe group, and E: low-dose Gubenzhike recipe group). The marks i, ii, and iii stand for magnification of 40, 200, and 400, respectively, and their scale bars are equal to 200 μm, 50 μm, and 20 μm. In the blank control group and model group, there were a few brown particles representing little expression of KGF. Large area of brown particles was visible in three Gubenzhike recipe groups, in which KGF expression was significantly higher. (b) Gubenzhike recipe increased KGFR content in lung tissues of mice with COPD (A: blank control group, B: model group, C: high-dose Gubenzhike recipe group, D: medium-dose Gubenzhike recipe group, and E: low-dose Gubenzhike recipe group). The marks i, ii, and iii stand for magnification of 40, 200, and 400, respectively, and their scale bars are equal to 200 μm, 50 μm, and 20 μm. The amount of brown particles was more in the model group and three Gubenzhike recipe groups than the blank control group. (c) Three months after cigarette smoke and LPS challenge, lungs were collected. The protein levels of KGF and KGFR were analysed by western blot and ELISA according to the manufacturer's instructions. The mRNA level of KGF in lung tissues was examined by real-time PCR. Data are presented as mean ± SD, n = 5 in each group. Compared to that of the model group, KGF was significantly higher in the blank control group (∗P=0.047 < 0.05) and medium-dose Gubenzhike recipe group (#P=0.028 < 0.05), and KGFR was significantly higher in the blank control group (∗∗P=0.02 < 0.05), high-dose Gubenzhike recipe group (∗P=0.047 < 0.05), and low-dose Gubenzhike recipe group (##P=0.041 < 0.05) in the western blot detection. ELISA results showed that KGF of the high-dose Gubenzhike recipe group was significantly higher than that of the model group (∗P=0.009 < 0.05). As for the RT-PCR assays, mRNA level of KGF was significantly higher in the blank control group (∗∗P=0.013 < 0.05), medium-dose Gubenzhike recipe group (###P=0.018 < 0.05), and low-dose Gubenzhike recipe group (∗∗∗P=0.04 < 0.05) than in the model group.