Postmitotic differentiation of rat lung fibroblasts: induction by bleomycin and effect on prolyl 4-hydroxylase.

The cytostatic drug bleomycin (BLM) induces pulmonary fibrosis as its main side effect. Fibroblasts in fibrotic foci are the main cellular source for extracellular matrix accumulation that typifies fibrosis. In vitro studies demonstrated the ability of cytotoxic drugs to induce terminal differentiation of fibroblasts.