[The role of nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase NOX family in acute lung injury].

Acute lung injury (ALI) and its severe form, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), are common critical syndromes. The causes of the syndrome are complex and diverse. The main pathological features are the diffuse inflammatory and protein-rich pulmonary edema caused by destruction of the blood-air barrier. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediate oxidative damage by oxidizing bio-macromolecules, including lipids, proteins and nucleic acid. Among many systems producing ROS, nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase-mediated ROS is the main source, and its functional subunit is the transmembrane subunit NOX family. The distribution of NOX family proteins in lung tissue is cell type dependent. NOX-derived ROS is involved in the defense function of lung tissue and related to the occurrence and development of ALI/ARDS. This review mainly describes the cell distribution, activation factors, and its relationship with the occurrence and development of ALI of the NOX family.