Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Sohrab S
PROVIDER: S-EPMC2735364 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Sep
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology 20090507 9
The integrity of lung alveoli is maintained by proper circulating levels of alpha-1 antitrypsin (A1AT). Next to cigarette smoking, A1AT deficiency is a major risk factor for lung emphysema development. We recently reported that in addition to neutralizing neutrophil elastases in the extracellular compartment, A1AT is internalized by lung endothelial cells and inhibits apoptosis. We hypothesized that the intracellular uptake of A1AT by endothelial cells may be required for its protective function ...[more]