Apoptosis in Critical Conditions

Abstract

Apoptosis is a variant of programmed cell death. This term was introduced by Kerr et al. in 1972, but information on the important role of apoptosis of some cells in critical conditions has recently appeared. The review of literature considers the basic mechanisms of induction, development, and regulation of apoptosis. Based on a literature update, the authors analyze the role of apoptosis in the pathogenesis of various critical conditions: acute lung lesion (neutrophilic and epithelial hypotheses), sepsis, myocardial infarction, and ischemic stroke (apoptosis of tubular epithelial cells), hepatic dysfunction in sepsis, myopathies in critical conditions. The data of studies dealing with the effects of inhaled and non-inhaled anesthetics on the apoptosis of neurons of the brain and lymphocytes are given. The review of literature presents the options of therapeutic apoptosis modulation by pharmacological methods.

Keywords

• apoptosis
• critical conditions