In inflammatory lung disorders, oxidants and proteases complement each other in their
potential to destroy lung parenchyma. It is therefore rational to combine therapeutic
strategies aimed at augmenting the antiproteolytic defenses of the lung in diseases such as
emphysema with antioxidant strategies. In the healthy lung, the oxidant burden is balanced
by the local antioxidant defenses. However, both an increased oxidant burden and/or
decreased antioxidant defenses may reverse the physiologic oxidant-antioxidant balance in …