THE ROLE OF MITOCHONDRIAL FATTY ACID USE IN NEONATAL LUNG INJURY AND REPAIR.

in animal models and more importantly in patients with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, suggesting that metabolic dysregulation may participate in the pathogenesis and progression of these diseases. Although endothelial cells rely mainly on glycolysis for bioenergetics, they have the metabolic flexibility to maintain cell function under stress or nutrient deprivation. Others have shown that hyperoxia decreases glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation in epithelial cells. Nevertheless, endothelial cells show enhanced mitochondrial fatty acid use after exposure to hyperoxia. This may serve to preserve endothelial cell proliferation and alveolarization, and thereby mitigate neonatal hyperoxic lung injury.