• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.71-77
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• 1994

In the animal model of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) induced by N-nitroso-N-methylurethane (NNNMU) the secretory activity of alveolar type H cells during acute alveolar injury was investigated by determining phospholipid and pulmonary surfactant associated proteins in crude surfactant. The mechanism of the secretory change was studied by determination of DNA and RNA levels in the lung tissue. After induction of acute alveolar injury with NNNMU, pulmonary hemorrhage, atelectasis and gross hypertrophy were observed. Seven days after NNNMU treatment the level of total DNA in lung homogenate was increased markedly indicating that a hypertrophy was induced by cellular proliferation. Although the total DNA level increased, the RNA/DNA ratio was gradually decreased after NNNMU treatment. Seven days after NNNMU treatment the RNA/DNA ratio returned to the normal control level. During the acute alveolar injury, phospholipid and surfactant associated proteins were reduced significantly as compared with the control, implying that the secretory activity of alveolar type II cells was altered during acute alveolar injury induced by NNNMU. The protein content in crude surfactant during peak injury(7 days after NNNMU) was decreased significantly but phospholipid/protein ratios were identical in both control and NNNMU treatment groups. SDS-PAGE of proteins in crude pulmonary surfactant showed a decrease in major surfactant associated protein(M.W. 38,000) during acute alveolar injury. The present study may suggest that while alveolar type H cells proliferate markedly, transcription of alveolar type ll cell gene was inhibited by an unknown mechanism such as DNA methylation induced by NNNMU. Such an inhibition of transcriptional activity is thought to be associated with the decreased secretory activity of alveolar type ll cells, which may lead to pulmonary atelectasis and edema during the acute alveolar injury.

• 한국동물학회지
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• 제35권3호
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• pp.295-307
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• 1992

In order to study the differentiation of the epithelial cells during the development of fetal rat lung tissue, histological changeB in organotypic culture and in vivo were examined. Light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to analvre the histological change in rat lung from the 15th nary of gestation to the 111th nary after birth. In organotypic culture system, the pulmonary epithelial cell differentiation was studied by scanning electron microscopy. The results obtained from this study were as follows. 1. During deveiopment of lung, the glandular stage lasted from the Isth day to the lsth naut of gestation; the canalicular stage from the 17th nay to the 19th naut of gestation; the saccuiar stage from 20th nary to the birth. Alveolar stage was observed at the 3rd nary of postnatal rat lung. 2. In organotvpic culture of fetal rat lung cells organized alveolar-like structures resembling those of in uiuo state were observed on the gelatin matrix. In contrast with in vivo state, fetal lung cells formed group of type ll pneumocytes predominently along the contours of the matrix. These cells have large apical surface, short microvilli and secreted materials which may be sunactant. These results suggested that an orsanotypic culture retaining epithelial- -mesenchvmal relationships is appropriate culture model to study the pulmonary epithelial cell (especially type ll pneumocvte) differentation.