Small Airway Epithelial Cells (SAEC)

The small airways are located at the interface between alveoli and conducting airways. Small airway epithelial cells (SAEC) regulate the immune responses by contributing to host defense through chemokine production  and adhesion molecule expression. The SAEC was induced into apoptosis by the treatment with TNF-alpha or H2O2 in a dose-dependant manner, but was significantly rescued from apoptosis in the presence of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). It indicates that HGF protects small airway epithelial cells from apoptosis induced by tumor necrosis factor-alpha or oxidative stress.