The Alveolar Epithelium Mechanisms of Injury and Repair

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