Hispidin attenuates bleomycin-induced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis via an anti-oxidative effect in A549 cells

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a serious and irreversible chronic lung disease. Bleomycin (BLM) is an anticancer drug, which can cause severe lung toxicity. The main target of oxidative stress-induced lung injury is alveolar epithelial cells, which lead to interstitial fibrosis. The present study investigated whether hispidin (HP), which has excellent antioxidant activity, attenuates bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis via anti-oxidative effects in A549 cells. We found that hispidin reduced bleomycin-induced fibrosis of A549 cells by reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Taken together, our data suggest that hispidin has therapeutic potential in preventing bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis.