DNA strand breaks in epithelial cells from mice with bleomycin induced pulmonary fibrosis

Abstract

Bleomycin-induced cytotoxicity is believed to be caused by single- and double-strand DNA breaks. To examine the effect of bleomycin on DNA strand breaks and the role of these breaks in bleomycin induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice, we analyzed DNA strand breaks in situ by TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL), previously described by Gavrieli et al. The nuclei of bronchiolar epithelial cells were strongly stained 1 hr to 12 hr after bleomycin administration, and after that period DNA damage was repaired. Nuclei of alveolar epithelial cells showed positive signals correlated with progression of fibrosis. Although corticosteroids did not block the early DNA damage in bronchiolar epithelial cells, they did inhibit later damage to alveolar epithelial cells and fibrosis. We speculate that the DNA damage in alveolar epithelial cells and the progression of fibrosis in later stages are associated with inflammatory cytokines. These findings show the location and the time course of the DNA damage in bleomycin-induced pneumonitis in mice, and they indicate that the prolongation of DNA damage in alveolar epithelial cells is closely related to fibrinogenesis.