Prospect of thioredoxin as a possibly effective tool to combat OSAHS.

Purpose: Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is characterized by recurrent upper airway disturbances during sleep leading to episodes of hypopnea or apnea, followed by hypoxemia and subsequent reoxygenation. It is believed that this reoxygenation/reperfusion stage leads to oxidative stress, which then leads to inflammation and cardiovascular diseases. The treatments of patient with OSAHS include surgical and non-surgical therapies with various side effects and common complaints.

Anti-Allergic and Anti-Inflammatory Effects and Molecular Mechanisms of Thioredoxin on Respiratory System Diseases.

The pathogenesis and progression of allergic inflammation in the respiratory system are closely linked to oxidative stress. Thioredoxin (TRX) is an essential redox balance regulator in organisms and is induced by various oxidative stress factors, including ultraviolet rays, radiation, oxidation, viral infections, ischemia reperfusion, and anticancer agents. We demonstrated that systemic administration and transgenic overexpression of TRX is useful in a wide variety of inflammatory respiratory diseases models, such as viral pneumonia, interstitial lung disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, by removing reactive oxygen species, blocking production of inflammatory cytokines, inhibiting migration and activation of neutrophils and eosinophils, and regulating the cellular redox status.