title: Effect of iron deficiency on bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis in the hamster.
abstract: Bleomycin produces a dose- and time-dependent interstitial pulmonary fibrosis in humans, and is widely used to produce an animal model for the study of interstitial pulmonary fibrosis. The mechanism(s) for bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis is (are) unknown, but the production of oxygen radicals by a ferrous ion-molecular oxygen pathway might be related to the fibrosis. Therefore, we studied the effect of iron deficiency on the biochemical, inflammatory, and morphologic parameters of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in the hamster. Mild iron deficiency was induced in hamsters by bleeding via the retro-orbital sinus and maintenance on an iron-deplete diet. After intratracheal administration of bleomycin (1 U), there was no accumulation of lung collagen in the iron-deficient bleomycin-treated animals. In comparison, iron-replete animals treated with bleomycin exhibited a significant (p less than 0.01) increase in lung collagen. In addition, bleomycin-treated iron-replete animals had increased lung lipid peroxidation (p less than 0.05), whereas bleomycin-treated iron-deficient animals did not (p greater than 0.05). Lung DNA and morphometric estimates of the lesion severity were significantly increased in both iron-replete and iron-deficient bleomycin-treated animals. These data indicate that iron deficiency is associated with a reduction in the severity of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis, possibly by the prevention of iron-catalyzed oxygen-radical formation and lipid peroxidation.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000633:toxicity*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D006224:Cricetinae; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D008054:Lipid Peroxides / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D008054:Lipid Peroxides; D011506:Proteins; D001761:Bleomycin; D003094:Collagen; D004247:DNA