Hypoxia/Reoxygenation modulates Oxidative Stress Level and Antioxidative Potential in Lung Mitochondria: Possible participation of P53 and NF-KB Target Proteins

Background and objective: Hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) is a key factor in the pathogenesis of the most lung diseases where exсessive ROS production and prooxidant/antioxidant imbalance greatly contribute to disease progression. We have used severe hypoxia in sessions of repeated H/R of different duration as a model of lung pathologic states to investigate mitochondrial oxidative stress intensity, protein expression/activity of antioxidant enzymes manganese-superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and antiapoptotic Bcl-2 as well as protein expression of their upstream regulators: p53 and nuclear factor- kappa B (NF-kB).