Protective Effect of Tunisian Flaxseed Oil against Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis in Rats.

The aims of this study are to investigate the preventive effect of flaxseed oil (FO) on bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis (PF). Thirty adult male Wistar rats (180-220 g) were randomly divided into three groups. The control group (G1) received no treatment, the group (G2) received only intratracheally BLM, and the group (G3) received FO (2 mL/kg body weight) once a day for 60 days + BLM (4 mg/kg body weight "bw"). Our results demonstrated that FO protected against BLM-induced PF, by increasing proline, fructose, glucose, glyceride, choline, lactate, and malate metabolites in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (Balf) which are involved in anti-inflammatory reactions. Also, FO-treatment reduced the score of fibrosis and the inflammatory index and revealed a decrease in tumor growth factor beta (TGFß) density in alveoli, inflammatory infiltrate and fibrocytes, comparatively to the BLM group. As well, our data demonstrated that acute BLM-induced fibrosis was accompanied by an oxidative stress in lung tissue as assessed by an increase of lipid peroxidation as well as antioxidant enzyme activities depletion such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). The FO treatment reversed all disturbances of BLM-induced oxidative stress parameters, and increased fatty acids levels promoting anti-inflammatory reactions especially in erythrocytes (linoleic, α-linolenic, docosapentaenoic acids).

A comparative study of intratracheal and aerosolization instillations of bleomycin inducing experimental lung fibrosis in rat.

We aimed to investigate in the present work, using metabonomics approaches, the scalability of lung fibrosis-biomarkers, in bleomycin (BLM) model of pulmonary fibrosis in rats. Sixty male Wistar rats, weighing 250 ± 10 g, were randomly divided into three groups: a negative control group receiving normal saline treatment (G1), an intratracheal BLM instilled group (G2), and an aerosol BLM instilled group (G3). Rats were investigated at various times after BLM instillation. Metabolic changes observed in different biofluids have been integrated into the results of the histological examination (increase in inflammation, fibrosis score, and TGF-ß immunostaining) which provide a novel pathway of biomarkers in pulmonary fibrosis. These two BLM-models showed an efficacy in the production of pulmonary fibrosis in rats, accompanied by an oxidative stress in lung tissue as assessed by the increase of lipid peroxidation and the depletion in the level of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and catalase. The aerosol model was more advantageous showing fibrotic foci occupying the majority of the lung in contrast to intratracheal instillation characterized by a non-homogeneous distribution of the fibroblastic foci.

Protective Effect of Pistacia lentiscus Oil Against Bleomycin-Induced Lung Fibrosis and Oxidative Stress in Rat.

We aimed in the present study to investigate the protective effect of Pistacia lentiscus oil against bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis as well as the involvement of oxidative stress in such protection. In this respect, adult male Wistar rats were used and divided into three groups of twenty each: control (NaCl, 0.9%), bleomycin, and bleomycin (4 mg/kg b.w.) + P. lentiscus oil (3 g/kg, b.w.). Animals were pretreated for 30 days before the induction of fibrosis by bleomycin and 1 wk after the induction of fibrosis. The oil principal compounds detected by gas chromatography analysis are: Linoleic and palmitic acids (70.6 and 24.7%, respectively). Our data demonstrated that P. lentiscus oil protected against bleomycin-induced fibrosis as evidenced by TGFß immunostaining increase in lungs fibrocytes as well as inflammatory infiltrate. We also showed that acute bleomycin-induced fibrosis was accompanied by an oxidative stress in lung tissue as assessed by an increase of lipid peroxidation as well as antioxidant enzyme activities depletion such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). More importantly, P. lentiscus oil treatment reversed all bleomycin-induced oxidative stress parameters disturbances. In conclusion, we suggest that P. lentiscus oil had potent protective effects against bleomycin-induced fibrosis due in part to its antioxidant properties.

Nigella sativa, a traditional Tunisian herbal medicine, attenuates bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in a rat model.

The present study investigated the effects of Nigella sativa oil (NSO) on bleomycin (BLM)-induced lung fibrosis in rats. The rat model of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) was established by intratracheal instillation of BLM, and the effect of 1ml/kg oral NSO treatment once daily observed. The effect of NSO was studied over a period of 50daysusing 1H RMN analysis on the urine and broncho alveolar lavage fluid (Balf) of the rats. Histopathological (inflammation and fibrosis) and immunohistochemical (TGF-ß1 density) changes were evaluated. Results found that the BLM group showed a significant increase in inflammatory index (II), fibrosis score (FS) and TGF-ß1 distribution in the lung inflammatory infiltrate, accompanied by a decreased urinary secretion of Krebs cycle intermediates, including acetate, pyruvate, carnitine, trimethylamine-N-oxide and succinate. However, at the same time point, NSO treated rats had a reduced II and FS, and had an increased urinary secretion of histidine, fumarate, allantoin and malate. In conclusion, NSO treatment attenuated the effects of BLM-induced PF, by supporting lung, liver and kidney activity in resisting PF. These findings provide an insight into the preventive and therapeutic potential of NSO in the treatment of PF.