American Journal of Physiology-lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology 

About: American Journal of Physiology-lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology is an academic journal published by American Physical Society. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Lung injury & Lung. It has an ISSN identifier of 1040-0605. Over the lifetime, 7940 publications have been published receiving 398444 citations. The journal is also known as: AJP:lung online & Lung cellular and molecular physiology.

Reactive oxygen species in cell signaling

Abstract: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated as by-products of cellular metabolism, primarily in the mitochondria. When cellular production of ROS overwhelms its antioxidant capacity, damage to cellular macromolecules such as lipids, protein, and DNA may ensue. Such a state of “oxidative stress” is thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of a number of human diseases including those of the lung. Recent studies have also implicated ROS that are generated by specialized plasma membrane oxidases in normal physiological signaling by growth factors and cytokines. In this review, we examine the evidence for ligand-induced generation of ROS, its cellular sources, and the signaling pathways that are activated. Emerging concepts on the mechanisms of signal transduction by ROS that involve alterations in cellular redox state and oxidative modifications of proteins are also discussed.

The chemistry of peroxynitrite: a product from the reaction of nitric oxide with superoxide

Abstract: Nitric oxide and superoxide, which are produced by several cell types, rapidly combine to form peroxynitrite. This reaction can result in nitric oxide scavenging, and thus mitigation of the biological effects of superoxide. Also, superoxide can trap and hence modulate the effects of nitric oxide; superoxide dismutase, by controlling superoxide levels, therefore can influence the reaction pathways open to nitric oxide. The production of peroxynitrite, however, causes its own sequelae of events: Although neither .NO nor superoxide is a strong oxidant, peroxynitrite is a potent and versatile oxidant that can attack a wide range of biological targets. The peroxynitrite anion is relatively stable, but its acid, peroxynitrous acid (HOONO), rearranges to form nitrate with a half-life of approximately 1 s at pH 7, 37 degrees C. HOONO exists as a Boltzmann distribution of rotamers; at 5-37 degrees C HOONO has an apparent acidity constant, pKa,app, of 6.8. Oxidation reactions of HOONO can involve two-electron processes (such as an SN2 displacement) or a one-electron transfer (ET) reaction in which the substrate is oxidized by one electron and peroxynitrite is reduced. These oxidation reactions could involve one of two mechanisms. The first mechanism is homolysis of HOONO to give HO. and .NO2, which initially are held together in a solvent cage. This caged pair of radicals (the "geminate" pair) can either diffuse apart, giving free radicals that can perform oxidations, or react together either to form nitrate or to reform HOONO (a process called cage return). A large amount of cage return can explain the small entropy of activation (Arrhenius A-factor) observed for the decomposition of HOONO. A cage mechanism also can explain the residual yield of nitrate that appears to be formed even in the presence of high concentrations of all of the scavengers studied to date, since scavengers capture only free HO. and .NO2 and not caged radicals. If the cage mechanism is correct, the rate of disappearance of peroxynitrite be slower in solvents of higher viscosity, and we do not find this to be the case. The second mechanism is that an activated isomer of peroxynitrous acid, HOONO*, can be formed in a steady state. The HOONO* mechanism can explain the inability of hydroxyl radical scavengers to completely block either nitrate formation or the oxidation of substrates such as methionine, since HOONO* would be less reactive, and therefore more selective, than the hydroxyl radical itself.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animal models of acute lung injury.

Abstract: Acute lung injury in humans is characterized histopathologically by neutrophilic alveolitis, injury of the alveolar epithelium and endothelium, hyaline membrane formation, and microvascular thrombi. Different animal models of experimental lung injury have been used to investigate mechanisms of lung injury. Most are based on reproducing in animals known risk factors for ARDS, such as sepsis, lipid embolism secondary to bone fracture, acid aspiration, ischemia-reperfusion of pulmonary or distal vascular beds, and other clinical risks. However, none of these models fully reproduces the features of human lung injury. The goal of this review is to summarize the strengths and weaknesses of existing models of lung injury. We review the specific features of human ARDS that should be modeled in experimental lung injury and then discuss specific characteristics of animal species that may affect the pulmonary host response to noxious stimuli. We emphasize those models of lung injury that are based on reproducing risk factors for human ARDS in animals and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each model and the extent to which each model reproduces human ARDS. The present review will help guide investigators in the design and interpretation of animal studies of acute lung injury.

Unusual inflammatory and fibrogenic pulmonary responses to single-walled carbon nanotubes in mice

Abstract: Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) are new materials of emerging technological importance. As SWCNT are introduced into the life cycle of commercial products, their effects on human health and ...

TGF-β-induced EMT: mechanisms and implications for fibrotic lung disease

Abstract: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process whereby fully differentiated epithelial cells undergo transition to a mesenchymal phenotype giving rise to fibroblasts and myofibroblasts, is increasingly recognized as playing an important role in repair and scar formation following epithelial injury. The extent to which this process contributes to fibrosis following injury in the lung is a subject of active investigation. Recently, it was demonstrated that transforming growth factor (TGF)-β induces EMT in alveolar epithelial cells (AEC) in vitro and in vivo, and epithelial and mesenchymal markers have been colocalized to hyperplastic type II (AT2) cells in lung tissue from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), suggesting that AEC may exhibit extreme plasticity and serve as a source of fibroblasts and/or myofibroblasts in lung fibrosis. In this review, we describe the characteristic features of EMT and its mechanistic underpinnings. We further describe the contribution of EMT to fibrosis in adult tissues following injury, focusing especially on the critical role of TGF-β and its downstream mediators in this process. Finally, we highlight recent descriptions of EMT in the lung and the potential implications of this process for the treatment of fibrotic lung disease. Treatment for fibrosis of the lung in diseases such as IPF has heretofore focused largely on amelioration of potential inciting processes such as inflammation. It is hoped that this review will stimulate further consideration of the cellular mechanisms of fibrogenesis in the lung and especially the role of the epithelium in this process, potentially leading to innovative avenues of investigation and treatment.