Does alcohol increase the permeability of airway epithelial tight junctions in Beas-2B and NHBE cells?
These results suggest that alcohol disrupts ZO-1, claudin-1, claudin-5, and claudin-7 through the activation of PKCα, leading to an alcohol-induced "leakiness" in bronchial epithelial cells. Such alcohol-induced airway-leak state likely contributes to the impaired airway host defenses associated with acute and chronic alcohol ingestion.
Atorvastatin significantly decreases tissue TGF-beta, resulting in a decrease in tubular damage and interstitial fibrosis. This suggests that atorvastatin is a promising agent for preventing renal tubular damage in UUO.