miR-146a regulates emphysema formation and abnormal inflammation in the lungs of two mouse models.

miR-146a, a microRNA (miRNA) that regulates inflammatory responses, plays an important role in many inflammatory diseases. Although an in vitro study had suggested that miR-146a is involved in abnormal inflammatory response, being a critical factor in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), in vivo evidence of its pathogenic role in COPD remains limited. Eight-week-old male B6(FVB)-Mir146tm1.

Lung Fixation under Constant Pressure for Evaluation of Emphysema in Mice.

Emphysema is a significant feature of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Studies involving an emphysematous mouse model require optimal lung fixation to produce reliable histological specimens of the lung. Due to the nature of the lung's structural composition, which consists largely of air and tissue, there is a risk that it collapses or deflates during the fixation process.

Regional heterogeneity in response of airway epithelial cells to cigarette smoke.

Background: Cigarette smoke (CS) exposure causes an abnormal inflammatory response, which can result in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Previous studies show that this disorder predominantly occurs in peripheral or small-airway areas, whereas the same condition has not been identified in the larger airways during the course of COPD. However, the different biochemical and genetic alterations occurring in response to CS exposure among airway epithelial cells from different sites in the lungs have not been fully investigated.

Hydrogen-rich pure water prevents cigarette smoke-induced pulmonary emphysema in SMP30 knockout mice.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is predominantly a cigarette smoke (CS)-triggered disease with features of chronic systemic inflammation. Oxidants derived from CS can induce DNA damage and stress-induced premature cellular senescence in the respiratory system, which play significant roles in COPD. Therefore, antioxidants should provide benefits for the treatment of COPD; however, their therapeutic potential remains limited owing to the complexity of this disease.