Acute mechanical forces cause deterioration in lung structure and function in elastase-induced emphysema

摘要

While the frequency of AECOPD was shown to correlate with lung function decline (5, 34), irreversible structural changes behind the functional decline following AECOPD have been identified only recently. Tanabe et al. (38) reported that changes in the distribution of low-attenuation areas on computerized tomography images of COPD patients were consistent with the coalescence of neighboring low-attenuation areas due to alveolar wall destruction. Since tissue destruction is the primary mechanism that drives airspace enlargement, AECOPD should also contribute to the progression of COPD. However, a detailed understanding of how exacerbation results in irreversible functional changes is lacking. Consequently, there is an urgent need for novel animal models of AECOPD.