title: Can resistive breathing injure the lung? Implications for COPD exacerbations.
abstract: In obstructive lung diseases, airway inflammation leads to bronchospasm and thus resistive breathing, especially during exacerbations. This commentary discusses experimental evidence that resistive breathing per se (the mechanical stimulus) in the absence of underlying airway inflammation leads to lung injury and inflammation (mechanotransduction). The potential implications of resistive breathing-induced mechanotrasduction in COPD exacerbations are presented along with the available clinical evidence.
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Theodoros
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vassilakopoulos
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Toumpanakis
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung; D040542:Mechanotransduction, Cellular; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; D012119:Respiration
keywords: COPD; bronchoconstriction; inflammation; mechanotransduction; resistive breathing