Stachys pilifera Benth. Ameliorates Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis in Rats through the Antioxidant Pathways

Nazanin Danaei; Esmaeel Panahi Kokhdan; Hossein Sadeghi; Heibatollah Sadeghi; Sajad Hassanzadeh; Davoud Rostamzadeh; Nahid Azarmehr; Salar Hafez Ghoran

doi:10.1155/2022/6208102

Stachys pilifera Benth. Ameliorates Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis in Rats through the Antioxidant Pathways

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2022 Sep 30:2022:6208102. doi: 10.1155/2022/6208102. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Nazanin Danaei¹, Esmaeel Panahi Kokhdan¹, Hossein Sadeghi¹, Heibatollah Sadeghi¹, Sajad Hassanzadeh¹, Davoud Rostamzadeh¹, Nahid Azarmehr¹, Salar Hafez Ghoran^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Medicinal Plants Research Center, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran.
² Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Golestan University, Gorgan, Iran.

Abstract

Methods: In this experimental study, 35 male Wistar rats (120-180 g) were divided into five groups (n = 7) as follows: intratracheal instillation of bleomycin (BLM, 7.5 IU/kg) was administered to group II. The third and fourth groups received BLM plus Stachys pilifera hydroalcoholic extract (SPHE) (300 mg/kg/day, gavage). Vitamin E (500 mg/kg/day, gavage) was given to group V in addition to BLM. After 14 days, the animals were euthanized to assess biochemical parameters and lung histopathology. Malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), total thiol (TSH), and glutathione (GSH) levels were measured. In addition, hydroxyproline (HYP) levels along with histological changes in lung tissue were also assessed.

Results: MDA, NO, and HYP elevations induced by BLM toxicity were significantly inhibited by SPHE (300 and 600 mg/kg), and Vit E. SPHE also significantly increased GSH and TSH levels in comparison to the BLM group.HPLC analyses showed the presence of thymol (55.47 ng/mL) and carvacrol (109.91 ng/mL) in SPHE as potential bioactive phenolic compounds.

Conclusion: The results suggest that SPHE alleviates the development of BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis by inhibiting the proliferation of fibroblasts mediated by antioxidant pathways. Other mechanisms underlying this Effect of SPHE need to be clarified through further research.