Shionone ameliorates pulmonary fibrosis by activating mitophagy via PINK1-Parkin pathway

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a progressive and fatal interstitial lung disease with limited clinical treatment options. Shionone (SHI), a major active compound derived from Ligularia fischeri Turcz (LF), has shown pharmacological potential; however, its mechanism of action against PF remains unclear. This study investigates the anti-fibrotic effects and underlying pathways of SHI using a bleomycin (BLM)-induced PF mouse model and a Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β)-stimulated A549 cell model. The results demonstrate that SHI treatment markedly alleviates BLM-induced alveolar damage, collagen accumulation, and inflammatory responses, while significantly improving survival rates in mice. At the molecular level, SHI activates the PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1)-Parkin-mediated mitophagy pathway, leading to increased expression of autophagy-related proteins such as LC3II/LC3I and Beclin1, decreased levels of p62 and pro-fibrotic markers, enhanced clearance of dysfunctional mitochondria, restoration of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and reduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. In vitro experiments further confirm that SHI inhibits fibrosis in TGF-β-challenged A549 cells through the same mechanism. This study is the first to elucidate that SHI mitigates PF by regulating mitophagy, offering a promising therapeutic target and potential drug candidate for PF. Future research may focus on optimizing the clinical application strategies of SHI.