The Alveolar Epithelium Mechanisms of Injury and Repair

• Format: eBook
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland MDPI - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute 2020
• Subjects: Biology, life sciences; Research and information: general; 3D reconstruction; acinar micromechanics; acute lung injury; acute mountain sickness; air-blood barrier; air-liquid interface; alveolar epithelial cells; alveolar epithelium; alveolar fluid; alveolar lining layer; alveolar micromechanics; alveolar septal composition; alveoli; alveolus; atelectrauma; autophagy; bleomycin-induced lung injury; bovine; carbon dioxide; chlamydia; dietary sugar; endoplasmic reticulum; epithelial cell dysfunction; epithelium; extracellular matrix remodeling; focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy; glycocalyx; GSK-3β; high-altitude pulmonary edema; hypercapnia; hyperglycemia; inflammatory signaling; JAM-A; lung; lung injury; lung mechanics; lung regeneration; lysosomal membrane permeability; lysosome; microRNA-21; mitochondria; model; mouse lung; Na,K-ATPase; necrotizing; oxygen diffusion limitation; P2X7 receptor; physical activity; pneumocyte; pneumonia; protein oxidation; pulmonary fibrosis; regeneration; sodium transport; stem cell exhaustion; structural remodeling; surfactant; surfactant protein B; type 1 alveolar epithelial cell; type 2 alveolar epithelial cell
• Online Access: Open Access: DOAB: description of the publication; Open Access: DOAB, download the publication

 Alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) of the lung are important contributors to pulmonary immune functions and to pulmonary development and alveolar repair mechanisms following lung injury. AECI, together with the capillary endothelium, form the extremely thin barrier between alveolar air and blood. AECII produce and metabolize the surface-tension lowering and immune-modulating surfactant and are the progentiors of AECI. A great variety of processes rely on their normal functioning, including maintenance of the alveolar barrier; innate immune defense; and processes of differentiation, senescence, apoptosis, and autophagy. The wide range of AEC functions is nicely reflected by the diversity of topics addressed by the four review and eight original articles contained in this Special Issue of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. Beyond the broad spectrum of topics, the authors of this issue also made use of an impressive variety of analytical methods, thus further illustrating the fascinating diversity of aspects related to AEC biology.