FASLG and bronchopulmonary dysplasia: Prolonged maximal cyclic stretch was also associated with increased expression of cleaved caspase-3, -7, and -8, as well as apoptotic mediator Fas ligand (FasL), suggesting that the extrinsic death pathway via the FasL/Fas system is involved in ventilation-induced apoptosis of alveolar type II cells [21].Given these findings, it is worthwhile to investigate the role of ventilation-induced ceramide production in epithelial cell apoptosis as a mechanism responsible for pulmonary apoptosis and inhibition of alveolar development in preterm infants with BPD.