Abstract
Epithelial cells are incriminated as active participants in the airway inflammatory response, and epithelial oxygenation pathways are ideal candidates to act as a source of mediators for modulating inflammation. Recent discoveries include the facts that airway epithelial cells contain abundant stores of fatty acid substrates for oxygenation; the cells have the capacity to release these substrates through the action of specific phospholipases; they express enzymatic activity for cyclooxygenation and lipoxygenation at a high level relative to other cell types; and some of the oxygenation products have potent functional effects in the airway. The accessibility of the surface epithelial cells to inhaled inflammatory stimuli will also enable anti-inflammatory drugs to reach them, and much of this therapeutic potential is still unexplored.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 309-318 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North America |
Volume | 10 |
Issue number | 2 |
State | Published - Jan 1 1990 |