Effects of intratracheal instillation of bleomycin on phospholipid synthesis in hamster lung tissue slices

Bleomycin, an antineoplastic drug, is known to produce interstitial pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). As a result, it is commonly employed in various species to produce animal models of fibrosis. We have examined the uptake of [14C]acetate by lung slices and its incorporation into lipids in the slices at various times following intratracheal administration of a fibrogenic dose (10 units/kg) of bleomycin in hamsters. As compared to saline controls, bleomycin had no effect on [14C]acetate uptake at 4 and 7 days but it increased the uptake at 2 and 14 days after treatment. The incorporation of [14C]acetate into total lipid was significantly reduced to 44, 62, 62, and 75% of the control at 2, 4, 7, and 14 days after bleomycin treatment, respectively. The incorporation into lipid as a percentage of the uptake was 12.2 in control animals whereas in bleomycin-treated animals, it was 4.7, 8.0, 7.3, and 6.9 at the corresponding times. Separation of lipids into various fractions revealed that bleomycin treatment specifically inhibited the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine and neutral lipid at all times of the study. The synthesis of all other phospholipids except phosphatidylethanolamine was depressed at 2 days. The latter was, however, depressed at 7 and 14 days after bleomycin treatment. It was concluded from the present study that bleomycin treatment inhibits the synthesis of phospholipid and neutral lipid and this may eventually lead to decreased surfactant production.