Protective Effect of Withania Somnifera Bleomycin Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis in Experimental Rats

Author(s): Maaz Naqvi, Mohd Rafi Reshi, Muzammil Muzaffar, Saman Anees, Arunabha Ray

Background: A lung condition that progresses fatally and has a high mortality rate is pulmonary fibrosis. One of the most often utilised chemotherapeutic medicines for treating various carcinomas is bleomycin (BLM). BLM's pulmonary toxicity is its most serious side effect, hence it has frequently been reported to be among the most commonly utilised drugs for inducing experimental lung fibrosis.

Methods: Bleomycin was given to rats once (on day 0) in order to cause lung fibrosis. By observing variations in cytokines and markers of oxidative stress in comparison to that in normal control rats, the lung fibrosis model was confirmed. In the aforementioned rat lung fibrosis model, the effects of Withania somnifera were examined on cytokine and oxidative marker levels.

Results: The efficacy of Withania somnifera to lessen BLM-induced lung fibrosis has been examined in the current investigation. For four weeks, BLM was supplied intratracheally, while Withania somnifera was given orally in doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg. In addition to considerably lowering tissue homogenate lung MDA and raising lung GSH, Withania somnifera also significantly reduced BALF's and serum TGF-1 and IL 13 levels.

Conclusion: Withania somnifera can be suggested as a viable therapeutic agent for the management of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis against lung fibrosis generated by bleomycin in rats, according to the data, and the effects were comparable to those seen with standard treatment.