Normal Lungs vs Those with Affected by Obstructive Disease (image)

Kumamoto University

Caption

In normal lungs, the transporter ZIP2 (WT-ZIP2: the bullet train, or "Shinkansen", on the left side of the figure) controls zinc transport and delivers zinc to lung epithelial cells. For this regulatory mechanism, it is important that the expression/function of CFTR (the tree in the figure) is normal and the expression/function of ENaC (tobacco at the bottom right of the figure) are low. On the other hand, in lungs with obstructive pulmonary disease, the expression/function of CFTR are low and ENaC expression/function is excessive.

Credit

Associate Professor Tsuyoshi Syuto

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