Reddy P Hemachandra
Neurogenetics Laboratory, Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, 505 NW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA.
Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2011 Feb 25;4(3):429-456. doi: 10.3390/ph4030429.
Asthma is a complex, inflammatory disorder characterized by airflow obstruction of variable degrees, bronchial hyper-responsiveness, and airway inflammation. Asthma is caused by environmental factors and a combination of genetic and environmental stimuli. Genetic studies have revealed that multiple loci are involved in the etiology of asthma. Recent cellular, molecular, and animal-model studies have revealed several cellular events that are involved in the progression of asthma, including: increased Th2 cytokines leading to the recruitment of inflammatory cells to the airway, and an increase in the production of reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial dysfunction in the activated inflammatory cells, leading to tissue injury in the bronchial epithelium. Further, aging and animal model studies have revealed that mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress are involved and play a large role in asthma. Recent studies using experimental allergic asthmatic mouse models and peripheral cells and tissues from asthmatic humans have revealed antioxidants as promising treatments for people with asthma. This article summarizes the latest research findings on the involvement of inflammatory changes, and mitochondrial dysfunction/oxidative stress in the development and progression of asthma. This article also addresses the relationship between aging and age-related immunity in triggering asthma, the antioxidant therapeutic strategies in treating people with asthma.
哮喘是一种复杂的炎症性疾病，其特征为不同程度的气流阻塞、支气管高反应性和气道炎症。哮喘由环境因素以及遗传和环境刺激的共同作用引起。基因研究表明，多个基因座参与哮喘的病因。近期的细胞、分子和动物模型研究揭示了一些参与哮喘进展的细胞事件，包括：Th2细胞因子增加导致炎性细胞募集至气道，以及活化的炎性细胞中活性氧生成增加和线粒体功能障碍，进而导致支气管上皮组织损伤。此外，衰老和动物模型研究表明，线粒体功能障碍和氧化应激参与其中并在哮喘中起重要作用。近期使用实验性变应性哮喘小鼠模型以及哮喘患者外周细胞和组织的研究表明，抗氧化剂有望成为哮喘患者的治疗方法。本文总结了关于炎症变化、线粒体功能障碍/氧化应激在哮喘发生和发展中的作用的最新研究结果。本文还探讨了衰老及与年龄相关的免疫在引发哮喘中的关系，以及治疗哮喘患者的抗氧化治疗策略。
