The lung must maintain a proper barrier between airspaces and fluid filled tissues in order to
maintain lung fluid balance. Central to maintaining lung fluid balance are epithelial cells …

Lung epithelial cells interconnected by tight junctions provide a barrier to the free diffusion of
solutes into airspaces. Transmembrane tight junction proteins known as claudins are …

Claudins are proteins that participate in epithelial barrier function and regulate paracellular
permeability. By immunohistochemistry of adult rat lung sections, claudin-3, claudin-4, and …

The alveolar epithelium of the lung constitutes a unique interface with the outside
environment. This thin barrier must maintain a surface for gas transfer while being …

Alveolar barrier function depends critically on the claudin family tight junction proteins. Of the
major claudins expressed by alveolar epithelial cells, claudin (Cldn)-3 and Cldn-4 are the …

Airway epithelial tight junctions (TJs) serve to separate the external and internal
environments of the lung. However, the members of the claudin family that mediate this …

Terminal airspaces of the lung, alveoli, are sites of gas exchange that are sensitive to
disrupted fluid balance. The alveolar epithelium is a heterogeneous monolayer of cells …

Tight junctions are the most apically localized part of the epithelial junctional complex. They
regulate the permeability and polarity of cell layers and create compartments in cell …

Claudins are tight junction proteins that regulate paracellular ion permeability of epithelium
and endothelium. Claudin 4 has been reported to function as a paracellular sodium barrier …

The removal of edema from the air spaces is a critical function of the alveolar barrier
requiring intact tight junctions. Alveolar fluid clearance contributes to graft function after …