MMP9 and pulmonary fibrosis: In this study, EPM administration suppressed fibrosis-related markers, including TGF-β1, p-Smad3, Collagen III, α-SMA, and MMP-9, while upregulating antifibrotic mediators such as TIMP-1, thereby reducing the MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio and mitigating lung fibrosis (Figure 7).