Link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26361876

Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2015 Sep 11:ajplung.00268.2015. doi: 10.1152/ajplung.00268.2015. [Epub ahead of print]
Recent advances in the mechanisms of lung alveolarization and the pathogenesis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
Silva DM1, Nardiello C1, Pozarska A2, Morty RE3.
Author information
1Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research.
2University of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC).
3University of Giessen Lung Center rory.morty@innere.med.uni-giessen.de.
Abstract
Alveolarization is the process by which the alveoli, the principal gas exchange units of the lung, are formed. Along with the maturation of the pulmonary vasculature, alveolarization is the objective of late lung development. The terminal airspaces that were formed during early lung development are divided by the process of secondary septation, progressively generating an increasing number of alveoli that are of smaller size, which substantially increases the surface area over which gas exchange can take place. Disturbances to alveolarization occur in bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), which can be complicated by perturbations to the pulmonary vasculature that are associated with the development of pulmonary hypertension. Disturbances to lung development may also occur in persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) in term newborn infants, as well as in patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernia. These disturbances can lead to the formation of lungs with fewer and larger alveoli, and a dysmorphic pulmonary vasculature. Consequently, affected lungs exhibit a reduced capacity for gas exchange, with important implications for morbidity and mortality in the immediate post natal period, and respiratory health consequences that may persist into adulthood. It is the objective of this Perspective to update the reader about recent developments in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of alveolarization and the pathogenesis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Copyright ? 2015, American Journal of Physiology - Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology.

KEYWORDS:
Alveolarization; BPD; Lung Development; PPHN; hyperoxia
PMID: 26361876 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]