Table 2. Cytokines and growth factors modulated by pirfenidone treatment in animal models
Cytokine/growth factorLungHeartKidneyLiver
Oku et al. [38]Hirano et al. [47]Liu et al. [45]Zhou et al. [46]Lee et al. [2]Shimizu et al. [50]Shimizu et al. [48]Salazar-Montes et al. [52]Garcia et al. [53]Di Sario et al. [54]Tada et al. [55]
BleomycinAllergen-induced AHRTransplantTransplantChronic heart failure5/6 nephrectomyUreteral obstructionCCl4 and bile duct ligation modelsCCl4 and bile duct ligation modelsDMNDMN
TGF-βProtein↓Protein↓Protein↓Protein↓Protein↓mRNA↓mRNA↓mRNA↓mRNA↓mRNA↓mRNA↓#
PDGFProtein↓
bFGFProtein↓
IL-18Protein↓
SDF-1α/CXCL12Protein↓
IFN-γProtein↔
HGFmRNA↑
MMP-2mRNA↓Protein↔mRNA↓
MMP-9Protein↓
TIMP-1mRNA↓mRNA↓
TIMP-4Protein↑
TNF-αProtein↓Protein↓
IL-1βProtein↓
IL-4Protein↓
IL-5Protein↓
IL-13Protein↓
IL-6Protein↓
MCP-1Protein↓
IL-12p40Protein↓

  • Empty fields denote end-points that were either not assessed or not dysregulated in this model. Unless otherwise noted, all effects were statistically significant per publication. AHR: airway hyperresponsiveness; DMN: dimethylnitrosamine; TGF: transforming growth factor; PDGF: platelet-derived growth factor; bFGF: basic fibroblast growth factor; IL: interleukin; SDF: stromal cell-derived factor; CXCL12: chemokine, CXC motif, ligand 12; IFN: interferon; HGF: hepatocyte growth factor; MMP: matrix metalloproteinase; TIMP: tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase; TNF: tumour necrosis factor; MCP: monocyte chemoattractant protein. #: statistical significance not assessed.