Subsequently, numerous studies have analyzed the protective effect of niacin in combination with taurine on pulmonary fibrosis, and the possible mechanisms are as follows: 1) Niacin and taurine treatment suppressed bleomycin-induced transcriptional nuclear factor-NF-κB by preserving IκBα (63) to inhibit the increased levels of inflammatory cell-derived fibrocytokines such as IL-1α, IL-6, TNF-α and TGF-β (64). This evidence concerns the gene TNF and pulmonary fibrosis.