Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 16
Summary diagram of cigarette smoke
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oxidative stress-mediated lung
injury and inflammation in smokers.
effects of cigarette smoke by the induction of antioxidant genes. The pre-
sence of an oxidative stress has important consequences on several events
of lung physiology and for the pathogenesis of COPD (Fig. 16). Further
understanding of the effects of ROS in basic cellular functions and molecular
mechanisms such as amplification of pro-inflammatory and immunological
responses, defective repair mechanism, signaling pathways, and apoptotic
mechanisms will provide important information regarding basic pathologi-
cal processes contributing to COPD. Since a variety of oxidants, free radicals
and reactive aldehydes are implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic lung
diseases it is likely that a combination of antioxidants may be effective of
the intervention of COPD. The effective wide spectrum antioxidant therapy
that has good bioavailability and potency is urgently needed to control the
localized oxidative and inflammatory processes that occur in the pathogen-
esis of COPD. In addition, development of such novel antioxidant com-
pounds would be therapeutically useful in monitoring the oxidative and
inflammatory biomarkers in the progression
=
severity of COPD.
REFERENCES
1. Rahman I, MacNee W. Role of oxidants
=
antioxidants in smoking-induced
airways diseases. Free Radic Biol Med 1996; 21:669-681.
2. Rahman I, MacNee W. Lung glutathione and oxidative stress: implications
in cigarette smoke-induced airways disease. Am J Physiol 1999; 277:
L1067-L1088.
