Oxidants and Cell Signaling in the Lung

The failure of antioxidant mechanisms to correct redox disequilibrium could lead to the escalation of oxidative to tier 2. Tier 2 cellular responses are characterized by the activation of cellular signaling pathway such as stress-activated kinases (p38 MAP kinase and JNK) along with activation and nuclear translocation of transcription factors NF-kB and STAT-1. NF-KB-induced transcriptional activation leads to the production of a number of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including the neutrophil chemoattractant IL-8. STAT-1 activation stimulates the increased production of CXC-motif chemokines that function in lymphocyte recruitment and activation. Therefore, tier 2 oxidative responses result in an inflammatory response in the lung. 

Tier 3 of oxidative stress involves a cytotoxic response and mitochondrial membrane damage that lead to the activation of caspases that mediate programmed cell death (apoptosis) or necrosis, depending on the severity of oxidative insult. 

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