Protective and Therapeutic Effect of Blackberry Extract in Experimental Fibrosis Model

Background: Bleomycin is a chemotherapeutic agent that can be used in many malignancies, but the side effect of pulmonary fibrosis plays a limiting role for treatment. Blackberry has been found to reduce oxidative stress, mainly because it is rich in bioactive components. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether blackberry extract could have a protective effect for the lung and a therapeutic effect in terms of fibrosis in bleomycin-induced experimental fibrosis model. Methods: In the experimental study, 60 male sprague dawley rats weighing 180-200g were used.They were divided into 6 experimental groups. The doses of bleomycin, methylprednisolone and blackberry extract to be administered to the rats were selected in accordance with the literature, and the experiment was designed by administering these substances both before and after bleomycin for 14 days to determine whether blackberry extract has a protective or therapeutic effect. Histological and biochemical analysis of lung tissue samples were performed. Results: Intra-alveolar haemorrhage was statistically significantly reduced in the bleomycin+blackberry group compared to the bleomycin group, and cellular infiltration and thickening of the alveolar wall were found to be less in the blackberry treated groups compared to the bleomycin group. The amount of collagen accumulated in bleomycin+blackberry group was less than bleomycin and blackberry+bleomycin groups. Malondialdehyde and total oxidant levels among oxidant parameters decreased and total antioxidant levels among antioxidant parameters increased in blackberry treated groups. Conclusion: These results suggest that blackberry prevents bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats by reducing inflammatory and oxidant markers. Keywords Blackberry; Bleomycin; Fibrosis; Oxidative stress