To predict the potential targets and mechanisms of kaempferol in the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis(IPF) based on bioinformatics and network pharmacology methods，and to validate the predicted molecular mechanisms through animal experiments.Methods:Differentially expressed genes(DEGs) in IPF were mined from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO) database.Potential targets of kaempferol were obtained from the TCMSP，STITCH，PubChem，and Swiss Target Prediction databases.Enrichment analysis of key target genes was performed to predict the key mechanisms of kaempferol in treating IPF.An IPF mouse model was constructed by intratracheal instillation of bleomycin，and key signaling pathways were validated.HE，Masson，and Sirius Red staining were used to observe inflammation and collagen deposition in lung tissues.Immunofluorescence and Western blot were employed to detect the expression levels of relevant proteins.Results:A total of 53 potential targets of kaempferol in treating IPF were identified，including key targets such as AKT serine/threonine kinase 1(AKT1)，prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2(PTGS2)，hypoxia-inducible factor 1A(HIF1A)，caspase 3(CASP3)，and heme oxygenase 1(HMOX1).Kaempferol may exert its therapeutic effects on IPF through the regulation of biological processes(e.g.，oxidative stress，extracellular matrix degradation) to act on the tumor necrosis factor(TNF) signaling pathway，nuclear factor kappa B(NF-κB) signaling pathway，and interleukin-17(IL-17) signaling pathway.Animal experiments showed that kaempferol treatment reduced pulmonary inflammatory infiltration and collagen deposition in IPF mice，as well as decreased the expression of α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA) and fibronectin.It also downregulated the protein expression of p-NF-κB，TNF-α，p-IκB-α，and IL-6 in lung tissue，alleviating the progression of lung fibrosis in mice.Conclusion:Kaempferol demonstrates multi-target and multi-pathway characteristics in treating IPF.The alleviation of IPF progression is associated with the inhibition of the TNF/NF-κB signaling pathway.