Gold Nanoparticles Treatment Reduced Lung Inflammation In ARDS-Induced Mice.

The acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a disease that progresses quickly and is characterized mainly by pronounced lung edema and hypoxemia that lead to high morbidity and mortality rates. It is in great part observed in diseases like sepsis, pneumonia and, most recently, by the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). The pathogenesis of ARDS is complex and involves excessive inflammatory response, which leads to alveolar-capillary barrier damage and consequent edema. Moreover, it is observed neutrophils, monocytes and epithelial cells infiltration in the lung parenchyma and release of proinflammatory mediators, such as cytokines, proteinases, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), and coagulation factors, which are greatly responsible for the endothelial and lung epithelial cells death, which further enhances the alveolar-capillary barrier permeability and contribute to the difficulty in gas exchange, and high rates of morbidity and mortality. The gut-lung axis seems to play a role in the pathophysiology of ARDS as well, probably by increasing the intestinal permeability and bacterial translocation to the lungs.