Bleomycin is an antineoplastic agent that causes a dose-related lung fibrosis 
that limits its therapeutic effectiveness. It has been proposed that the 
cellular toxicity and antitumor effects of bleomycin occur by formation of 
O2-Fe(II)-bleomycin complexes that degrade DNA and release O2- and OH radicals 
that attack other cellular components. Twice daily injections of the iron 
chelator deferoxamine were utilized in an attempt to ameliorate 
bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis. They failed to diminish bleomycin-induced lung 
inflammation and fibrosis in rats.