[Lung tissue injury caused by oxidant-antioxidant imbalance]

The lung is susceptive to excess oxidants from inhaled air and marginated large portion of circulating leukocytes. Oxygen radicals generated from sequestrated leukocytes injure endothelial cells to increase permeability. Excessively generated oxidants in the mitochondria, such as in ischemia-reperfusion injury, changes mitochondrial function and cause Ca++ leak from the organelle, which leads to induction of apoptosis. Reactive oxygen intermediates induce some cytokine gene expression such as IL-8. Hydrogen peroxide activates phospholipase C and the subsequent signal transduction pathways resulting in change of cytoskeletal configuration and cell shape. It is expected that understanding of contribution of oxidant-antioxidant imbalance in lung diseases may develop new strategy of 'antioxidant' therapies.