Fig 2: The changes of chemokines-related with COPD occurrence based on the elapsed time after LPS intranasal instillation. (A) LPS stimulated increases in the CCL-2 level, and there was a significant difference in levels between 48 and 72 hr. (B) LPS induced changes in the CXCL1 level compared to the levels observed in the control group. (C) Although the upregulation of CXCL9 was not much greater than that observed for CCL-2, it increased in a time-dependent manner. (D) After 24 hr, the expression of CXCL10 was increased. (E) The change in CXCL11 expression exhibited a similar pattern to the change in TGF-ß. The change in CXCL11 was only dependent on LPS treatment. N=16. Scale Bar: 50 µm. arrow, inflammatory cell; a, 0 hr; b, 3 hr; c, 24 hr; d, 48 hr; e, 72 hr.; *P<0.05 vs. 0 hr; **P<0.001 vs. 0 hr; $P<0.05 vs. 3 hr; $$P<0.01 vs. 3 hr; #P<0.05 vs. 24 hr.

Fig 3: Macmoondong decoction dose-dependently suppressed the expression of TGF-β, CCL-2, CXCL1, and CXCL11. (a) In the 1500 mg/kg macmoondong decoction treatment group, the expression of TGF-β was lower than that in the Spiriva treatment group, and dose-dependent inhibition was observed. (b) Macmoondong decoction significantly inhibited the expression of CCL-2 in a dose-dependent manner, and in the 1500 mg/kg macmoondong decoction treatment group, the suppression of CCL-2 was more effective than that in Spiriva treatment. (c) Macmoondong decoction dose-dependently downregulated the expression of CXCL1. (d) Similar to the changes in CXCL1, macmoondong decoction exerted dose-dependent suppression. (e) The positively stained cell counts for TGF-β, CCL-2, CXCL1, and CXCL11. Each bar represents the mean ± SD (N = 8). #P < 0.05 vs. control group; ∗∗P < 0.01 vs. control group; $ P < 0.05 vs. COPD induction group; $$P < 0.01 vs. COPD induction group; #P < 0.05 vs. Spiriva treatment group; ##P < 0.01 vs. Spiriva treatment group.