Pulmonary Fibrosis in BALB/c Mice Caused by Long-Term Instillation of Bleomycin
It is well-known that bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis is difficult to produce in BALB/c mice. To see whether bleomycin could induce pulmonary fibrosis in BALB/c mice, we repeatedly administered this drug through the airway for 10 consecutive days. Our experiment clearly showed that fibrosis can be induced, although it was rather mild, and also suggested that the bronchiolar and alveolar epithelia are the primary sites of injury. We believe this experimental model may be useful in studying the early stage of intraluminal polypoid fibrosis.
