ABSTRACT
Chronic lung disease of infancy (bronchopulmonary dysplasia; BPD) develops mainly in ventilated infants treated for hyaline membrane disease (HMD) with high concentrations of oxygen. The lungs of these infants are continuously exposed to both self-generated and exogenously derived oxidants. This oxidant stress is often mediated by reactive species, including O2• (superoxide), H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide), and •OH (hydroxyl radical). These species have been implicated as causal or contributory to lung injury by initiation of lipid peroxidation of biological membranes and oxidation of critical cellular proteins and nucleic acids.
