PIEZO1 and acute respiratory distress syndrome: Additionally, in a ventilator-induced ALI/ARDS model, the Piezo1 channel expressed in alveolar epithelial type II cells can also be activated by mechanical stretch, and Piezo1-mediated Ca2+ influx induces apoptosis of alveolar epithelial type II cells, which may aggravate the surfactant deficiency during ALI/ARDS [54].