Pharmacological Threat to Lungs: A Case Series and Literature Review

Abstract

Drug-induced organ damage stands as a prevalent yet much-neglected issue globally. Keeping in view it’s rising frequency, health care providers stand obliged to be well versed with the de-merits of the agents they prescribe. Drug therapies causing damage present with a non-specific clinical presentation, histological findings or radiology, which further elaborates on the necessity of a conscientious diagnosis. Pulmonary architecture ranging from the airways, lung parenchyma, mediastinum, pleura, pulmonary vasculature or the neuromuscular system, all can fall victim to the dreaded outcomes of this menace. In order to establish successful diagnosis, the definite temporal relation between initiation of drug therapy and the development of the respiratory symptoms needs to be drawn. The most common form of pharmacologically arising lung toxicity is drug-induced pneumonitis or interstitial lung disease. Unfortunately, there is no adequate data available to review the extensiveness of this medication-associated risk in Pakistan which further highlights the necessity of carefully monitoring this overlooked yet assessable malady. Furthermore, identification and surveillance of this drug attributed peril shall help diminish burden on healthcare resources of the country. We present three recent cases of different types of drug-induced lung damage under treatment at our University Hospital.

Naringin protects rat lung against the doxorubicin-induced biochemical injury

“…Pulmonary edema, pneumonitis or interstitial lung disease or lung fibrosis has been reported as one of the adverse side effects in cancer patients receiving doxorubicin alone or in combination with other chemotherapy drugs. 51,52 This indicates that there is a need for the pharmacological agent/s that can reduce or prevent lung damage in the patients receiving Doxorubicin. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to investigate the protective effect of a dietary bioflavanone naringin in the lungs of rats treated with doxorubicin.…”

Aqueous leafextracts of Chromolaena odorata and Tridax procumbens attenuated doxorubicin-induced pulmonary toxicity in Wistar rats

“…Doxorubicin induces toxicityin various organs, including lungs (Meadors et al, 2006 ; Injac et al, 2009 ; Srdjenovic et al, 2010 ; Vapa et al, 2012 ; Jagetia and Lalrinpuii, 2018 ).Pulmonary oedema, pneumonitis or lung fibrosis has been reported as one of the adverse side effects in cancer patients receiving doxorubicin alone or in combination with other chemotherapeutic drugs (Mazzotta et al, 2016 ; Irfan et al, 2017 ; Jagetia and Lalrinpuii, 2018 ). Oxidative stress is one of the mediators of pulmonary toxicity of doxorubicin (Öz and İlhan, 2006 ; Srdjenovic et al, 2010 ; Vapa et al, 2012 ).…”