Overexpression of V-ATPase B2 attenuates lung injury/fibrosis by stabilizing lysosomal membrane permeabilization and increasing collagen degradation.

Excessive oxidative stress causes lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP), which leads to cell death. Vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase) is the enzyme responsible for pumping H into the cytosol and thus maintaining intracellular pH. Previously, we reported that V-ATPase B2 subunit expression is upregulated in the TiO-exposed lung epithelium.