CASP3 and acute respiratory distress syndrome: Levels of cleaved caspase 3 and cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), two indicators of apoptosis, were the highest in untreated ARDS, significantly and progressively reduced across the ARDS + SW, ARDS + Mito, and ARDS + SW + Mito groups, and the lowest in the SC groups.