[Mechanotransduction and the bronchoalveolar epithelium].

The bronchoalveolar epithelium is submitted to numerous mechanical strains. These strains induce a specific cellular activity at the tissue level. This type of activation has been studied in respiratory medicine, mainly in the context of mechanical ventilation and asthma. The phenomenon of mechanotransduction is linked to various epithelial cellular activities such as epithelium repair, extracellular matrix remodelling, inflammatory mediator release and mucociliary regulation. In this review, the main studies related to bronchoalveolar epithelial mechanotransduction are reported to bring a new perspective on this little known biological phenomenon. A better understanding of the physiological and pathological aspects will potentially offer new treatment approaches for bronchial diseases.