REVIEW article
Front. Physiol.
Sec. Respiratory Physiology and Pathophysiology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1684729
Mechanisms of Alveolar Type II Epithelial Cells' Mitochondrial Quality Control during Acute Lung Injury/ Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: Bridging the Gap between Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Fibrosis
Provisionally accepted
- LiShizhen College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Huanggang Normal University, Huanggang, China
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Acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are a group of conditions characterized by acute episodes of pulmonary inflammation and increased pulmonary vascular permeability. These conditions often result in severe morbidity and high mortality rates. Increased alveolar-capillary barrier permeability is a pivotal factor in the pathogenesis of ALI/ARDS, and diffuse alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) death is a salient feature of ALI/ARDS. Alveolar epithelium is composed of alveolar type I epithelial cells (AECI) and alveolar type II epithelial cells (AECII), with AECII playing a more critical role. These cells contain a high density of mitochondria in their cytoplasm, and their function depends on mitochondrial quality control (MQC). Existing reviews either focus solely on the mechanisms of AECs and their relationship to lung injury/fibrosis or broadly explore the role of mitochondrial dynamics in lung diseases. However, neither review comprehensively addresses AECII's MQC and related molecules and signaling pathways. The objective of this study is to investigate the MQC characteristics of AECII in ALI/ARDS, elucidate their role as a regulatory hub for oxidative stress, inflammation, and fibrosis, summarize progress in related clinical trials, and highlight the need for further research to develop effective therapies.
Keywords: alveolar type II epithelial cells, Mitochondrial quality control, Acute Lung Injury, acuterespiratory distress syndrome, Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, Fibrosis
Received: 14 Aug 2025; Accepted: 07 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zeng and Yan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Lin Zeng, 739860884@qq.com
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