BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary fibrosis is one of the most common side effects of bleomycin which is used as a chemotherapeutic agent. Reactive oxygen species play a key role in the development of pulmonary fibrosis. Celery seed contains a variety of flavonoids which are considered as asantioxidants. This study investigated the effects of celery seed hydroalcoholic extract on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats.

METHODS: This empirical study was conducted on 20 Sprague-Dawley rats weighing from 180 to 150 g. The animals were divided randomly into 5 groups of 4 rats. Groups 1 and 2, respectively, received a single dose of saline or bleomycin (7.5 units per kg) endotracheally. Group 3-5 received different daily doses of celery seed extract (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) intraperitoneally for one week before and two weeks after the bleomycin. The animals were killed after 21 days and their blood and lungs were collected and tested so as to measure the plasma malondialdehyde, lung hydroxyproline and histopathology test.

FINDINGS: The results showed that the index of lung, hydroxyproline and malondialdehyde in the saline normal group were respectively, 2.02±7.27 milligrams of lung per gram of body weight, 0.24±1.78 mg per gram of lung tissue and 0.17±1.48 micromol per liter of plasma. On the other hand, in the group receiving bleomycin, the figures were 0.99±10.1, 1.5±5.75 and 0.23±3.27, respectively. Treatment with extract, especially in groups 4 and 5, significantly reduced these factors compared to the bleomycin group (p<0.05). Furthermore, the results of histology revealed that bleomycin could lead to lung damage and the thickening of the alveolar.

CONCLUSION: The results showed that celery seed hydroalcoholic extract has a protective effect on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis.