Antioxidants as potential therapeutics for lung fibrosis.
Interstitial lung disease encompasses a large group of chronic lung disorders associated with excessive tissue remodeling, scarring, and fibrosis. The evidence of a redox imbalance in lung fibrosis is substantial, and the rationale for testing antioxidants as potential new therapeutics for lung fibrosis is appealing. Current animal models of lung fibrosis have clear involvement of ROS in their pathogenesis. New classes of antioxidant agents divided into catalytic antioxidant mimetics and antioxidant scavengers are being developed. The catalytic antioxidant class is based on endogenous antioxidant enzymes and includes the manganese-containing macrocyclics, porphyrins, salens, and the non-metal-containing nitroxides. The antioxidant scavenging class is based on endogenous antioxidant molecules and includes the vitamin E analogues, thiols, lazaroids, and polyphenolic agents. Numerous studies have shown oxidative stress to be associated with many interstitial lung diseases and that these agents are effective in attenuating fibroproliferative responses in the lung of animals and humans.
Day
Brian J
BJ
Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Department of Medicine, National Jewish Medical and Research Center, Denver, Colorado 80206, USA. dayb@njc.org
D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002384:Catalysis; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000145:classification / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
D000975:Antioxidants; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase