Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37730279›Full record

ArticleBMJ open respiratory research2023

Time-course transcriptome analysis of a double challenge bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis rat model uncovers ECM homoeostasis-related translationally relevant genes.

Martina Bonatti, Vanessa Pitozzi, Paola Caruso, Silvia Pontis, Maria Gloria Pittelli, Caterina Frati, Chiara Mangiaracina, Costanza Anna Maria Lagrasta, Federico Quaini, Simona Cantarella and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open respiratory research, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Modulatory effects of CeOParticle and fibre toxicology · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Identification of the role ofJournal of thoracic disease · 2025
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Martina BonattiDepartment of Chemistry Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-3183-6831
Vanessa PitozziCorporate Preclinical R&D, Chiesi Farmaceutici SpA, Parma, Italy.
Paola CarusoCorporate Preclinical R&D, Chiesi Farmaceutici SpA, Parma, Italy.
Silvia PontisCorporate Preclinical R&D, Chiesi Farmaceutici SpA, Parma, Italy.
Maria Gloria PittelliCorporate Preclinical R&D, Chiesi Farmaceutici SpA, Parma, Italy.
Caterina FratiDepartment of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
Chiara MangiaracinaDepartment of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
Costanza Anna Maria LagrastaDepartment of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
Federico QuainiDepartment of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
Simona CantarellaDepartment of Chemistry Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
Simone OttonelloDepartment of Chemistry Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
Gino VillettiCorporate Preclinical R&D, Chiesi Farmaceutici SpA, Parma, Italy.
Maurizio CivelliCorporate Preclinical R&D, Chiesi Farmaceutici SpA, Parma, Italy.
Barbara MontaniniDepartment of Chemistry Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy barbara.montanini@unipr.it.ORCID 0000-0002-5419-7975
Marcello TrevisaniCorporate Preclinical R&D, Chiesi Farmaceutici SpA, Parma, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIdiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an irreversible disorder with a poor prognosis. The incomplete understanding of IPF pathogenesis and the lack of accurate animal models is limiting the development of effective treatments. Thus, the selection of clinically relevant animal models endowed with similarities with the human disease in terms of lung anatomy, cell biology, pathways involved and genetics is essential. The bleomycin (BLM) intratracheal murine model is the most commonly used preclinical assay to evaluate new potential therapies for IPF. Here, we present the findings derived from an integrated histomorphometric and transcriptomic analysis to investigate the development of lung fibrosis in a time-course study in a BLM rat model and to evaluate its translational value in relation to IPF.

methodsRats were intratracheally injected with a double dose of BLM (days 0-4) and sacrificed at days 7, 14, 21, 28 and 56. Histomorphometric analysis of lung fibrosis was performed on left lung sections. Transcriptome profiling by RNAseq was performed on the right lung lobes and results were compared with nine independent human gene-expression IPF studies.

resultsThe histomorphometric and transcriptomic analyses provided a detailed overview in terms of temporal gene-expression regulation during the establishment and repair of the fibrotic lesions. Moreover, the transcriptomic analysis identified three clusters of differentially coregulated genes whose expression was modulated in a time-dependent manner in response to BLM. One of these clusters, centred on extracellular matrix (ECM)-related process, was significantly correlated with histological parameters and gene sets derived from human IPF studies.

conclusionsThe model of lung fibrosis presented in this study lends itself as a valuable tool for preclinical efficacy evaluation of new potential drug candidates. The main finding was the identification of a group of persistently dysregulated genes, mostly related to ECM homoeostasis, which are shared with human IPF.

Indexed as

Idiopathic Pulmonary FibrosisAnimalsBleomycinExtracellular MatrixGene Expression ProfilingHomeostasisHumansMiceRatsBleomycinInterstitial Fibrosis

Identifiers

PMID37730279
PMCPMC10510891

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.