Monoclonal antibodies specific to apical surfaces of rat alveolar type I cells bind to surfaces of cultured, but not freshly isolated, type II cells

Density and substrata are important in lung type II cell transdifferentiation in vitro

Morphological techniques and metabolic cell marker assays were used to study the transdifferentiation of pulmonary type II epithelial cells to type I-like cells in vitro. In the lung this process is important during remodelling and alveolar repair. Type II cell phenotype was best maintained over eight days when densely packed cells were plated out on a commercially available extracellular matrix. Such cells retained type II cell characteristics (lamellar bodies, high activities of gamma glutamyl transpeptidase and alkaline phosphatase) but expressed low levels of rT1(40) a surface protein marker of type I cells. In contrast, low density cultures, irrespective of substratum, exhibited rapid cell spreading, loss of lamellar bodies, loss of type II cell enzyme markers and expressed high levels or rT1(40). Conditions have been described whereby the same isolate of type II cells can be used to produce differential epithelial phenotypes and use can be made of this for further characterisation or to investigate the effect of toxins on different lung cell types in vitro.

Pressure is proinflammatory in lung venular capillaries

Endothelial responses may contribute importantly to the pathology of high vascular pressure. In lung venular capillaries, we determined endothelial [Ca(2+)](i) by the fura-2 ratioing method and fusion pore formation by quantifying the fluorescence of FM1-43. Pressure elevation increased endothelial [Ca(2+)](i). Concomitantly evoked exocytotic events were evident in a novel spatial-temporal pattern of fusion pore formation. Fusion pores formed predominantly at vascular branch points and colocalized with the expression of P-selectin. Blockade of mechanogated Ca(2+) channels inhibited these responses, identifying entry of external Ca(2+) as the critical triggering mechanism. These endothelial responses point to a proinflammatory effect of high vascular pressure that may be relevant in the pathogenesis of pressure-induced lung disease.

1.3 kilobases of the lung type I cell T1alpha gene promoter mimics endogenous gene expression patterns during development but lacks sequences to enhance expression in perinatal and adult lung

The T1alpha gene is one of few markers for the type I cell phenotype in the adult mammalian lung. Type I cells form a large, thin epithelial layer that facilitates gas exchange and transport of fluids between the air spaces and capillaries. The T1alpha gene has a complex pattern of developmental expression in lung and brain; in vitro studies indicate that expression is regulated in part by thyroid transcription factor 1, forkhead proteins, and Sp1/Sp3 proteins. To explore the mechanisms that confine T1alpha expression in intact adult animals to alveolar type I and choroid plexus epithelial cells, we generated mice bearing a 1.3-kb T1alpha promoter-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene. In situ hybridization and RNase protection assays show that the 1.3-kb promoter confers a pattern of CAT expression that largely matches the endogenous T1alpha in embryos and mid-term fetuses in lung and central nervous system. However, the 1.3-kb promoter lacks elements important for perinatal up-regulation of T1alpha in the lung and maintenance of that expression in the adult lung and brain. The final adult pattern of T1alpha expression may be directed by elements outside the 1.3-kb fragment, perhaps those 5' to the 1.3-kb fragment as we show herein, or in 3' and intronic regions. Dev Dyn 1999;215:319-331.

Mechanical distention modulates alveolar epithelial cell phenotypic expression by transcriptional regulation

The development of a normal pulmonary alveolar epithelium, essential for gas exchange, is critical for the successful adaptation to extrauterine life. From observations of natural and experimental developmental abnormalities, it has been hypothesized that mechanical factors may play a role in regulating differentiation of the pulmonary alveolar epithelium. To test this hypothesis directly, we have investigated the in vitro effects of mechanical distention on the expression of specific markers for the type I and type II cell phenotypes. Fetal rat lung (18-d) explants were mechanically distended in culture for 18 h. Mechanical distention caused an increase in RTI 40 messenger RNA (mRNA), a marker of the type I cell phenotype, of 10.6 times (n = 3, P < 0.05) that of undistended controls. In contrast, mechanical distention resulted in a decrease in mRNA content of two markers of the type II cell phenotype, surfactant protein (SP)-B and SP-C. SP-B was reduced to 10 +/- 9% (n = 3, P < 0.005) and of SP-C to 12 +/- 7% (n = 3, P < 0.0001) of undistended controls. Mechanical distention had no effect on content of mRNA for SP-A or 18S ribosomal RNA. Examined by nuclear run-on assays, mechanical distention caused changes in transcriptional rates of RTI 40, SP-B, and SP-C. These data show that mechanical distention stimulates expression of a type I cell marker and inhibits expression of markers for the type II phenotype; these effects occur at least in part at the transcriptional level. These studies support the hypothesis that mechanical distention of fetal lung tissue stimulates expression of the type I cell phenotype and inhibits expression of the type II phenotype.

Stretch induces cytokine release by alveolar epithelial cells in vitro

Mechanical ventilation can injure the lung, causing edema and alveolar inflammation. Interleukin-8 (IL-8) plays an important role in this inflammatory response. We postulated that cyclic cell stretch upregulates the production and release of IL-8 by human alveolar epithelium in the absence of structural cell damage or paracrine stimulation. To test this hypothesis, alveolar epithelial cells (A549 cells) were cultured on a deformable silicoelastic membrane. When stretched by 30% for up to 48 h, the cells released 49 +/- 34% more IL-8 (P < 0.001) than static controls. Smaller deformations (20% stretch) produced no consistent increase in IL-8. Stretch of 4 h duration increased IL-8 gene transcription fourfold above baseline. Stretch had no effect on cell proliferation, cell viability as assessed by (51)Cr release assay, or the release of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. We conclude that deformation per se can trigger inflammatory signaling and that alveolar epithelial cells may be active participants in the alveolitis associated with ventilator-induced lung injury.

Partitioning lung and plasma proteins: circulating surfactant proteins as biomarkers of alveolocapillary permeability

1. The alveolocapillary membrane faces an extraordinary task in partitioning the plasma and lung hypophase proteins, with a surface area approximately 50-fold that of the body and only 0.1-0.2 micron thick. 2. Lung permeability is compromised under a variety of circumstances and the delineation between physiological and pathological changes in permeability is not always clear. Although the tight junctions of the epithelium, rather than the endothelium, are regarded as the major barrier to fluid and protein flux, it is becoming apparent that the permeability of both are dynamically regulated. 3. Whereas increased permeability and the flux of plasma proteins into the alveolar compartment has dire consequences, fortuitously the flux of surfactant proteins from the airspaces into the circulation may provide a sensitive means of non-invasively monitoring the lung, with important implications for treatment modalities. 4. Surfactant proteins are unique in that they are present in the alveolar hypophase in high concentrations. They diffuse down their vast concentration gradients (approximately 1:1500-7000) into the circulation in a manner that reflects lung function and injury score. Surfactant proteins vary markedly in size (approximately 20-650 kDa) and changes in the relative amounts appear particularly diagnostic with regard to disease severity. Alveolar levels of surfactant proteins remain remarkably constant despite respiratory disease and, unlike the flux of plasma proteins into the alveolus, which may reach equilibrium in acute lung injury, the flux of surfactant proteins is unidirectional because of the concentration gradient and because they are rapidly cleared from the circulation. 5. Ultimately, the diagnostic usefulness of surfactant proteins as markers of alveolocapillary permeability will demand a sound understanding of their kinetics through the vascular compartment.

HTI56, an integral membrane protein specific to human alveolar type I cells

The alveolar epithelium is composed of two morphologically distinct types of cells, Type I and Type II cells. The thin cytoplasmic extensions of Type I cells cover more than 95% of the internal surface area of the lungs. Type I cells provide the very short diffusion pathway essential for gas exchange. Because there were no biochemical markers specific for human Type I cells, we developed a strategy to produce a monoclonal antibody (MAb) specific for human Type I cells. Isolated human lung cells were used as immunogens; >5000 clones from seven fusions were screened to identify an MAb specific for a 56-kD protein of Type I cells, HTI56. By Western blotting, HTI56 is unique to the lung. By immunoelectron microscopy, it is localized to the Type I cell apical plasma membrane. The pI of HTI56 is 2.5-3.5. HTI56 is glycosylated and has the biochemical characteristics of an integral membrane protein. HTI56 is detectable by Week 20 of gestation and its expression increases in fetal lung explant culture. HTI56 should be useful as a marker for human Type I cells both morphologically and biochemically. It may also be useful in studies of disease and as a marker for lung injury.

Purification and analysis of RTI40, a type I alveolar epithelial cell apical membrane protein

RTI40 is a 40-42 kDa protein that, within the lung, is specific to the apical plasma membrane of the rat alveolar type I cell. Type I cells cover greater than 95% of the internal surface area of the lung. In this report, we describe some of the physical properties of RTI40, and its purification to homogeneity. By liquid phase isoelectric focusing, the pI of the protein is 3.0+/-0.5. In two-dimensional immunoblots, there is a 1.0 pH unit charge train, suggesting post-translational modification of the protein. We have purified the protein to homogeneity by the following method. A membrane preparation from perfused rat lungs was extracted with detergent and applied to an ion-exchange column. Immunoreactive fractions from the column were pooled, dialyzed and further fractionated by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Essentially all the antigenicity was recovered in one protein peak that was homogeneous both by spectral analysis and silver-stained polyacrylamide gels. Because the purified protein was N terminus blocked, we cleaved the protein with CNBr and fractionated peptide fragments by reverse phase HPLC. Fractions were pooled and concentrated. Direct amino acid sequencing of the major peptide fragment yielded a 15 amino acid peptide homologous to a mouse osteoblast protein, OTS-8. Analysis of purified RTI40 shows that the protein contains glycan, some of which is sialic acid. Characterization of RTI40 should facilitate future studies of the functional properties of RTI40.

Equibiaxial deformation-induced injury of alveolar epithelial cells in vitro

Deformation of the alveolar epithelial basement membrane with lung inflation has been implicated in blood-gas barrier breakdown during the development of ventilator-induced lung injury. To determine the vulnerability of alveolar epithelial cells to deformation-induced injury, we developed a cell-stretching device that subjects cells to cyclic, equibiaxial strains. Alveolar epithelial type II cells from primary culture were tested 1 and 5 days after seeding, during which time the cells underwent major morphological and phenotypic changes. Cells were subjected to changes in surface area of 12, 24, 37, and 50%, which corresponded to lung inflation of approximately 60, 80, 100, and >100% of total lung capacity. Deformation-induced injury of alveolar epithelial cells, assessed with a fluorescent cell viability assay, increased with deformation magnitude and decreased with time elapsed after seeding. In cells stretched after 1 day in culture, the percentage of dead cells after a single deformation ranged from 0.5 to 72% over the range of deformations used. In cells stretched at 5 days, the percentage of dead cells ranged from 0 to 9% when exposed to identical deformation protocols. These results suggest that morphological and phenotypic changes with time in culture fundamentally change the vulnerability of alveolar epithelial cells to deformation.

Characterization of the gene and promoter for RTI40, a differentiation marker of type I alveolar epithelial cells

In an effort to understand the processes that establish and maintain the differentiated state of the alveolar epithelium, we have analyzed the gene for rat type I cell 40 kD protein (RTI40), an apical integral plasma membrane protein expressed in type I but not type II alveolar epithelial cells. The RTI40 gene spans 35 kilobase pairs; it contains 6 exons and at least 6 rat Identifier repetitive elements. Three exons encode the predicted RTI40 extracellular domain and one encodes the single transmembrane spanning domain. The final exon encodes one amino acid followed by a stop codon. RTI40 gene transcription starts downstream from a TATA homology, which is immediately adjacent to putative binding sites for thyroid transcription factor 1 and Sp1. In H441 cell transfections, mutagenesis of a 5'-flanking fragment (-2496 to +104) revealed two regions that contribute to promoter activity: -1247 through -795 and -163 through -81. Heterologous promoter fusion experiments suggest that a cooperative interaction between these regions activates transcription. In transfected type II cells, deletion across the proximal region produced a 6-fold drop in promoter activity, whereas deletion across the distal region was without apparent effect. These results provide a foundation to analyze further the factors that govern alveolar epithelial cell phenotype.

Gelatinases A and B are up-regulated in rat lungs by subacute hyperoxia: pathogenetic implications

Subacute hyperoxia may cause basement membrane disruption and subsequent fibrosis. To test the role of extracellular matrix degradation in hyperoxic damage, we analyzed the expression of gelatinases A and B and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP)-1 and TIMP-2 in rats exposed to 85% O2. Oxygen-exposed rats were studied at 1, 3, 5, and 7 days, and compared with air-breathing rats. Lung mRNAs assayed by Northern and in situ hybridization showed an up-regulation of lung gelatinases A and B from the 3rd day on. Gelatinase A was localized in alveolar macrophages and in interstitial and alveolar epithelial cells. Gelatinase B mRNA and protein were localized in macrophages and bronchiolar and alveolar epithelial cells. Increased gelatinase A and B activities were demonstrated in bronchoalveolar lavage. TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 were constitutively expressed, and only TIMP-1 displayed a moderate increase with hyperoxia. To elucidate transcriptional mechanisms for increased gelatinase B expression after hyperoxia, nuclear transcription factor-kappabeta activation was explored. Oxidative stress significantly increased the lung expression of nuclear transcription factor-kappabeta (p65) protein, and nuclear transcription factor-kappabeta activation and increased levels of gelatinases A and B were found in isolated type II alveolar cells obtained from hyperoxic rats. Conceivably, subacute hyperoxia induces excessive gelatinase activity, which may contribute to lung damage.

Interaction of rat Pneumocystis carinii and rat alveolar epithelial cells in vitro

During Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, P. carinii trophic forms adhere tightly to type I alveolar epithelial cells (AECs). However, the manner in which the interaction between P. carinii organisms and AECs results in clinical pneumonia has not been explored. To investigate this interaction in vitro, we established a culture system using rat P. carinii and primary cultures of rat AECs. We hypothesized that binding of P. carinii to AECs would alter the metabolic, structural, and barrier functions of confluent AECs. Using fluorescently labeled P. carinii, we demonstrated that P. carinii bound to AECs in a dose-dependent manner. During P. carinii-AEC interaction, both the AECs and the P. carinii organisms remained metabolically active. Immunofluorescent staining demonstrated that AEC expression of the junctional proteins E-cadherin and occludin and the structural protein cytokeratin 8 were unaffected by P. carinii binding. To evaluate the effect of P. carinii on AEC barrier function, transepithelial resistance across AEC monolayers was measured during interaction with organisms. Culture with P. carinii did not result in loss of AEC barrier function but in fact increased AEC transepithelial resistance in a dose- and time-dependent manner. We conclude that the direct interaction of P. carinii with AECs does not disrupt AEC metabolic, structural, or barrier function. Therefore, we speculate that additional inflammatory cells and/or their signals are required to induce the epithelial derangements characteristic of P. carinii pneumonia.

Modulation of t1alpha expression with alveolar epithelial cell phenotype in vitro

T1alpha is a recently identified gene expressed in the adult rat lung by alveolar type I (AT1) epithelial cells but not by alveolar type II (AT2) epithelial cells. We evaluated the effects of modulating alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) phenotype in vitro on T1alpha expression using either soluble factors or changes in cell shape to influence phenotype. For studies on the effects of soluble factors on T1alpha expression, rat AT2 cells were grown on polycarbonate filters in serum-free medium (MDSF) or in MDSF supplemented with either bovine serum (BS, 10%), rat serum (RS, 5%), or keratinocyte growth factor (KGF, 10 ng/ml) from either day 0 or day 4 through day 8 in culture. For studies on the effects of cell shape on T1alpha expression, AT2 cells were plated on thick collagen gels in MDSF supplemented with BS. Gels were detached on either day 1 (DG1) or day 4 (DG4) or were left attached until day 8. RNA and protein were harvested at intervals between days 1 and 8 in culture, and T1alpha expression was quantified by Northern and Western blotting, respectively. Expression of T1alpha progressively increases in AEC grown in MDSF +/- BS between day 1 and day 8 in culture, consistent with transition toward an AT1 cell phenotype. Exposure to RS or KGF from day 0 prevents the increase in T1alpha expression on day 8, whereas addition of either factor from day 4 through day 8 reverses the increase. AEC cultured on attached gels express high levels of T1alpha on days 4 and 8. T1alpha expression is markedly inhibited in both DG1 and DG4 cultures, consistent with both inhibition and reversal of the transition toward the AT1 cell phenotype. These results demonstrate that both soluble factors and alterations in cell shape modulate T1alpha expression in parallel with AEC phenotype and provide further support for the concept that transdifferentiation between AT2 and AT1 cell phenotypes is at least partially reversible.

Keratinocyte growth factor modulates alveolar epithelial cell phenotype in vitro: expression of aquaporin 5

We investigated the role of keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) in regulation of alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) phenotype in vitro. Effects of KGF on cell morphology, expression of surfactant apoproteins A, B, and C (SP-A, -B, and -C), and expression of aquaporin 5 (AQP5), a water channel present in situ on the apical surface of alveolar type I (AT1) cells but not expressed in alveolar type II (AT2) cells, were evaluated in AECs grown in primary culture. Observations were made on AEC monolayers grown in serum-free medium without KGF (control) or grown continuously in the presence of KGF (10 ng/ml) from either Day 0 (i.e., the time of plating) or Day 4 or 6 through Day 8 in culture. AECs monolayers express AQP5 only on their apical surfaces as determined by cell surface biotinylation studies. Control AECs grown in the absence of KGF through Day 8 express increasing levels of AQP5, consistent with transition toward the AT1 cell phenotype. Exposure of AECs to KGF from Day 0 results in decreased AQP5 expression, retention of a cuboidal morphology, and greater numbers of lamellar bodies relative to control on Day 8 in culture. AECs treated with KGF from Day 4 or 6 exhibit a decrease in AQP5 expression through subsequent days in culture, as well as an increase in expression of surfactant apoproteins. These data, showing that KGF both prevents and reverses the increase in AQP5 (and decrease in surfactant apoprotein) expression that accompanies progression of the AT2 toward the AT1 cell phenotype, support the concepts that transdifferentiation between AT2 and AT1 cell phenotypes is at least partially reversible and that KGF may play a major role in modulating AEC phenotype.

Highly water-permeable type I alveolar epithelial cells confer high water permeability between the airspace and vasculature in rat lung

Water permeability measured between the airspace and vasculature in intact sheep and mouse lungs is high. More than 95% of the internal surface area of the lung is lined by alveolar epithelial type I cells. The purpose of this study was to test whether osmotic water permeability (Pf) in type I alveolar epithelial cells is high enough to account for the high Pf of the intact lung. Pf measured between the airspace and vasculature in the perfused fluid-filled rat lung by the pleural surface fluorescence method was high (0.019 +/- 0.004 cm/s at 12 degrees C) and weakly temperature-dependent (activation energy 3.7 kcal/mol). To resolve the contributions of type I and type II alveolar epithelial cells to lung water permeability, Pf was measured by stopped-flow light scattering in suspensions of purified type I or type II cells obtained by immunoaffinity procedures. In response to a sudden change in external solution osmolality from 300 to 600 mOsm, the volume of type I cells decreased rapidly with a half-time (t1/2) of 60-80 ms at 10 degrees C, giving a plasma membrane Pf of 0.06-0.08 cm/s. Pf in type I cells was independent of osmotic gradient size and was weakly temperature-dependent (activation energy 3.4 kcal/mol). In contrast, t1/2 for type II cells in suspension was much slower, approximately 1 s; Pf for type II cells was 0.013 cm/s. Vesicles derived from type I cells also had a very high Pf of 0.06-0.08 cm/s at 10 degrees C that was inhibited 95% by HgCl2. The Pf in type I cells is the highest measured for any mammalian cell membrane and would account for the high water permeability of the lung.

Induction of retinoblastoma gene expression during terminal growth arrest of a conditionally immortalized fetal rat lung epithelial cell line and during fetal lung maturation

The process by which fetal lung epithelial cells differentiate into type 1 and type 2 cell is largely unknown. In order to study lung epithelial cell proliferation and differentiation we have infected 20-day fetal lung epithelial cells with a retrovirus carrying a temperature-sensitive SV40 T antigen (T Ag) and isolated several immortalized fetal epithelial cell lines. Cell line 20-3 has characteristics of lung epithelial cells including the presence of distinct lamellar bodies, tight junctions, keratin 8 and 18 mRNA, HFH8, and T1 alpha mRNA and low levels of surfactant protein A mRNA. At 33 degrees C 20-3 grows with a doubling time of 21 h. At 40 degrees C the majority of cells cease to proliferate. Growth arrest is accompanied by significant morphological changes including an increase in cell size, transition to a squamous phenotype that resembles type 1 cells, and an increase in the number of multinucleated cells within the population. Greater than 95% of the cells incorporate [3H]thymidine into DNA at 33 degrees C whereas at 40 degrees C label incorporation drops to less than 20%. When shifted down to 33 degrees C 40% of the cells remain terminally growth arrested. In addition, cells plated at 40 degrees C have a reduced ability to form colonies when replated at 33 degrees C. Treatment with TGF-beta increases the percentage of cells that terminally growth arrest to greater than 80%. Growth arrest is accompanied by an increase in the levels of c-jun, jun D, cyclin D1, C/EBP-beta, transglutaminase type II, and retinoblastoma (Rb) mRNA and an induction of p105, the hypophosphorylated, growth regulatory form of Rb. Evaluation of Rb mRNA in fetal lung indicates that it is induced 2.5-fold between 17 and 21 days of gestation. These studies indicate that 20-3 terminally growth arrests in culture at the nonpermissive temperature and that it may be useful in studying changes in gene expression that accompany terminal growth arrest during lung development.

Mechanical distension modulates pulmonary alveolar epithelial phenotypic expression in vitro

The pulmonary alveolar epithelium is composed of two distinct types of cells, type I and type II cells, both of which are critical for normal lung function. On the basis of experiments of both nature and in vivo studies, it has been hypothesized that expression of the type I or type II phenotype is influenced by mechanical factors. We have investigated the effects of mechanical distension on the expression of specific markers for the type I and type II cell phenotypes in cultured alveolar type II cells. Rat alveolar type II cells were tonically mechanically distended in culture. Cells were analyzed for a marker for the type I phenotype (rTI40, an integral membrane protein specific for type I cells) and for markers for the type II phenotype [surfactant protein (SP) A, SP-B, and SP-C] as well as for glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). Mechanical distension caused a 68 +/- 25% (n = 3) increase in mRNA content of rTI40 relative to undistended controls. In contrast, mechanical distension resulted in a decrease in mRNA content of SP-B to 35 +/- 19% (n = 3) and of SP-C to 20 +/- 6.7% (n = 3) of undistended controls. There was no effect on mRNA content of SP-A or GAPDH. The differences in mRNA content of SP-B and SP-C were found to be primarily due to changes at the transcriptional level by nuclear run-on assays. The effects on rTI40 appear to be due to posttranscriptional events. These data show that mechanical distension influences alveolar epithelial phenotypic expression in vitro, at least in part, at the transcriptional level.

KGF increases SP-A and SP-D mRNA levels and secretion in cultured rat alveolar type II cells

Studies of secretion of surfactant proteins by alveolar type II cells have been limited because the expression of the genes for these proteins decreases rapidly in primary culture. We developed a culture system to investigate the regulation of lipid and protein secretion by alveolar type II cells and the genes involved in these processes. Rat type II cells were plated on membrane inserts coated with rat-tail collagen in medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) for 1 d before being changed to medium containing 5 ng/ml keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) and 2% serum for 3 d and to medium with 5% Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm tumor matrix (EHS) but without serum for 2 d. From this time forward, the cells were placed on a rocking platform and cultured with 0.4 ml medium on the apical surface at the air-liquid interface (A/L) in four different, serum-free media: basal Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM)/F12 medium (DF12), basal medium plus EHS (DF12/EHS), basal medium plus KGF (DF12/KGF), and basal medium plus EHS and KGF (DF12/EHS/KGF). Cells cultured in DF12 and DF12/EHS assumed an attenuated, flattened morphology, whereas those in DF12/KGF and DF12/EHS/KGF were more cuboidal, contained numerous lamellar bodies, and had apical microvilli. Cells cultured in DF12 and DF12/EHS produced a relatively weak signal for the surfactant protein mRNAs (surfactant proteins [SP]-A, SP-B, SP-C, and SP-D, respectively), and secretion of SP-A and SP-D remained low. In contrast, cells maintained for 3 d at A/L and cultured in the presence of KGF showed strong signals for SP-A, SP-B, and SP-D mRNAs, and secreted SP-A, SP-D, and lysozyme into the apical medium. The combination of 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-11-acetate (TPA) and terbutaline stimulated secretion of [3H]phosphatidylcholine ([3H]PC), SP-A, and lysozyme, but not SP-D. This primary culture system should prove useful for mechanistic studies of the secretion of SP-A, SP-D, and surfactant lipids.

Regulation of lung fibroblast tropoelastin expression by alveolar epithelial cells

Epithelial-mesenchymal interactions are of critical importance during tissue morphogenesis and repair. Although the cellular and molecular aspects of many of these interactions are beginning to be understood, the ability of epithelial cells to regulate fibroblast interstitial matrix production has not been extensively studied. We report here that cultured alveolar epithelial cells are capable of modulating the expression of tropoelastin, the soluble precursor of the interstitial lung matrix component elastin, by lung fibroblasts. Phorbol ester-stimulated alveolar epithelial cells secrete a soluble factor that causes a time- and dose-dependent repression of lung fibroblast tropoelastin mRNA expression. This alveolar epithelial cell-mediated repressive activity is specific for tropoelastin, is effective on lung fibroblasts from multiple stages of development, and acts at the level of transcription. Partial characterization of the repressive activity indicates it is an acid-stable, pepsin-labile protein. Gel fractionation of alveolar epithelial cell conditioned medium revealed two peaks of activity with relative molecular masses of approximately 25 and 50 kDa. These data support a role for epithelial cells in the regulation of fibroblast interstitial matrix production.

Biochemical detection of type I cell damage after nitrogen dioxide-induced lung injury in rats

We have previously shown that injury to lung epithelial type I cells can be detected biochemically by measuring the airway fluid content of a type I cell-specific protein, rTI40, in a model of severe acute lung injury [M. C. McElroy, J.-F. Pittet, S. Hashimoto, L. Allen, J. P. Wiener-Kronish, and L. G. Dobbs. Am. J. Physiol. 268 (Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol. 12): L181-L186, 1995]. The first objective of the present study was to evaluate the utility of rTI40 in the assessment of alveolar injury in a model of milder acute lung injury. Rats were exposed to 18 parts/ million NO2 for 12 h; control rats received filtered air for 12 h. In NO2-exposed rats, the total amount of rTI40 in bronchoalveolar fluid was elevated 2-fold compared with control values (P < 0.001); protein concentration was 8.5-fold of control values (P < 0.001). The increase in rTI40 was associated with morphological evidence of injury to type I cells limited to the proximal alveolar regions of the lung. The second objective was to correlate the severity of alveolar type I cell injury with functional measurements of lung epithelial barrier integrity. NO2 inhalation stimulated distal air space fluid clearance despite a significant increase in lung endothelial and epithelial permeability to protein. These data demonstrate that rTI40 is a useful biochemical marker for mild focal injury and that exposure to NO2 alters lung barrier function. Taken together with our earlier studies, these results suggest that the quantity of recoverable rTI40 can be used as an index of the severity of damage to the alveolar epithelium.

TGT3, thyroid transcription factor I, and Sp1 elements regulate transcriptional activity of the 1.3-kilobase pair promoter of T1alpha, a lung alveolar type I cell gene

Alveolar type I epithelial cells form the major surface for gas exchange in the lung. To explore how type I cells differ in gene expression from their progenitor alveolar type II cells, we analyzed transcriptional regulation of T1alpha, a gene expressed by adult type I but not type II cells. In vivo developmental patterns of T1alpha expression in lung and brain suggest active gene regulation. We cloned and sequenced 1.25 kilobase pairs of the T1alpha promoter that can drive reporter expression in lung epithelial cell lines. Deletion analyses identified regions important for lung cell expression. The base pair (bp) -100 to -170 fragment conferred differential regulation in lung epithelial cells compared with fibroblasts. Sequence alignment of this fragment with type II-specific surfactant protein B and C promoters shows similar consensus elements arranged in a different order. Gel retardation studies with alveolar epithelial cell line nuclear extracts, thyroid transcription factor I (TTF-1) homeodomain, hepatic nuclear factor (HNF)-3beta, or Sp1 proteins, and supershift assays were used to characterize TTF-1, HNF-3 (TGT3), and Sp1/Sp3 binding sites. The TGT3 site binds factors with binding properties similar to HNF-3/Fkh (hepatic nuclear factor-3/forkhead) proteins but different from HNF-3alpha or HNF-3beta. Co-transfection with a TTF-1 expression vector moderately transactivated the -170 bp-reporter construct. Mutational analysis of these three binding sites showed reduced transcriptional activity of the -170 bp promoter. Therefore, several regulatory sequences involved in type II cell gene regulation are also present in the T1alpha promoter, suggesting that genes of the peripheral lung epithelium may be regulated by similar factors.

Type II alveolar epithelial cells in lung express receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) gene

Messenger RNA of receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) is abundantly expressed in the lung. However, cell types expressing RAGE mRNA in the lung have not been identified. In order to elucidate the function of RAGE in pulmonary tissue, we have identified a cell type expressing RAGE mRNA by in situ hybridization and compared its expression level of RAGE mRNA by RNA blot analysis of isolated cells. In situ hybridization revealed that RAGE mRNA was intensely and specifically visualized in alveolar epithelial type II (AT-II) cells, and weakly in alveolar macrophages. The expression of RAGE mRNA in the primary culture of AT-II cells was at a high level, but that in alveolar macrophages isolated from alveolar lavage was under the level of detection by RNA blot analysis. These results showed that RAGE mRNA is specifically expressed in AT-II cells, and suggested that RAGE makes a substantial contribution to the function of AT-II cells in the lung.

Epithelial-mesenchymal interactions in the alteration of gene expression and morphology following lung injury

Numerous studies using morphologic techniques have demonstrated the plasticity of pulmonary epithelial cells and the requirement for complex intercellular interactions for regeneration of normal epithelium following lung injury. Recent developments in the molecular characterization of genes expressed in the lung have generated additional tools for evaluation of lung cell phenotypes and interactions. This review discusses the relationship between molecular and morphologic changes in lung cells during injury and repair. Changes in epithelial morphology and their differentiated gene products may be mediated through alterations in expression of numerous factors acting through paracrine and autocrine mechanisms. Tumor necrosis factor alpha, transforming growth factor beta, and retinoic acid, whose roles in the regulation of epithelial cell differentiation have been well documented, will be discussed in the context of normal lung development and repair from injury.

Molecular characterization of gp40, a mucin-type glycoprotein from the apical plasma membrane of Madin-Darby canine kidney cells (type I)

gp40 has been recently identified as a major apical cell-surface sialoglycoprotein of type-I Madin-Darby canine kidney cells, a cell line widely used for the study of polarized transport. The determination of two internal amino acid sequences of the purified glycoprotein by Edman degradation enabled us to isolated the cDNA encoding the 18.6 kDa protein backbone of gp40. Sequence analysis revealed that gp40 is a type-I membrane protein which has several characteristics in common with glycophorin A and other mucin-type glycoproteins. At least 14 serine/threonine residues were found to be used for O-glycosylation. No potential sites for N-glycosylation were detected. gp40 turned out to represent the canine homologue of a cell-surface antigen expressed by various epithelial and non-epithelial cells in rat and mouse. Potential O-glycosylation sites, transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains were found to be highly conserved in the three species. gp40 was detected in canine lung, intestine, kidney, brain and heart but not in liver and spleen. The subline II of Madin-Darby canine kidney cells was found not to express gp40. Stable expression of gp40 in transfected type-II cells revealed that gp40 is predominantly delivered to the apical plasma membrane. N-Glycans and a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor, both proposed apical targeting signals, are absent from gp40, indicating that other determinants are responsible for its polarized transport.

Characterization and cloning of the E11 antigen, a marker expressed by rat osteoblasts and osteocytes

A new marker for cells of the osteoblastic lineage was identified by raising monoclonal antibodies against an immortalized rat osteoblastic cell line. Among the different antibodies one was selected which, on tissue sections, strongly reacts with osteoblasts, preosteocytes, and osteocytes. This antibody, designated E11, recognizes an antigen localized at the cell surface. The cDNA encoding the E11 antigen was cloned from a cDNA library prepared from ROS 17/2.8 cells, using a eukaryotic expression system. The E11 cDNA sequence revealed homology with the murine OTS-8/gp38 sequence. In situ hybridization confirmed that E11 mRNA expression in bone is restricted to osteoblasts and osteocytes. The tissue specificity of the E11 expression was studied by immunohistochemistry and Northern blot analysis. Apart from bone, E11-positive cells were also found in lung: namely, the alveolar cells of type I. Epithelial cells of the choroid plexus and endothelial cells of lymphatic vessels were also labeled with mAb E11. These results were confirmed by Northern blot, as the 1.8 kb E11 mRNA transcript was detected in bone and also in lung, brain, and skin. In conclusion, we describe a novel osteoblastic product which is expressed by mature osteoblasts and newly formed osteocytes.

Maximizing morphologic data from lung biopsies from normal and asthmatic humans

Obtaining lung biopsies from human patients is important because information gained from studies of the lung cells, tissue, and molecules is useful for both diagnosis and research. Because of their value these specimens should be handled carefully and analyzed with the best procedures available. Two morphologic techniques, immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization, are particularly useful because they are sensitive and yield highly specific information. When combined with analysis of mRNAs by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, biochemical and morphologic data can be obtained from these small specimens. Multidisciplinary approaches such as these are proving to be very promising approaches to understanding asthma.

Augmented expression of cytosolic phospholipase A2 during phenotypic transformation of cultured type II pneumocytes

Over time in culture, rat type II alveolar epithelial cells (AEC) demonstrate increased levels of unesterified arachidonic acid (AA) and increased prostanoid synthesis, while assuming certain morphological and biochemical characteristics of the type I cell phenotype. The objective of this study was to elucidate the enzymatic mechanism(s) responsible for increased AA accumulation in this model. Cells were examined both early in culture (2 days), when they retained type II cell features, and later in culture (7 days), when they are known to express a number of type I cell characteristics. An increase in AA levels at day 7 persisted despite inhibition of AA reacylation, suggesting that differences in deacylation were responsible for differences in free fatty acid levels. These differences in deacylation were not explained by differing susceptibilities to hydrolysis of radiolabeled endogenous lipids from day 2 and day 7 cells. The phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activities at both days in culture were qualitatively similar and typical of the recently described high-molecular-mass cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2), but activity in day 7 cytosol was threefold greater than that present in day 2 cytosol. A neutralizing anti-cPLA2 antibody reduced the PLA2 activity in day 7 cytosol to the level found in day 2 cytosol. Immunoblot analysis failed to detect expression of low-molecular-mass PLA2 proteins but confirmed that expression of the 97-kDa cPLA2 was greater in day 7 cytosol than in day 2 cytosol. These results indicate that increased levels of unesterified AA in AEC with phenotype altered during culture are due to augmented steady-state expression of cPLA2 and suggest for the first time that expression of cPLA2 is differentiation dependent.

Immunohistochemistry of a human type I pneumocyte-associated protein in lung

A mouse monoclonal antibody to a human lung lavage protein was raised using proteins, with the potential ability to bind surfactant, as the immunogen. The proteins were isolated from cadaver lung lavage. The antibody was tested for its reactivity with lung and other organs. It reacted with type I pneumocytes and some of the nonciliated cells in the surface epithelium of distal bronchioles. Staining was also seen in the cells surrounding the glandular structures, superficial keratinocytes of the skin, endothelium, and nerve sheath cells. With the exception of bronchiolar cells, the stained cells have a squamous morphology, and this protein may serve as a marker or determinant of this characteristic of cells. In pathologic lungs some of the cells in air spaces with "bronchiolarization" of the epithelium exhibited staining for the protein. It could not be ascertained whether the stained cuboidal cells were reactive type II pneumocytes or distal bronchiolar cells. The intraalveolar material in pulmonary alveolar proteinosis did not show remarkable staining for the protein. Even though the protein is not unique to type I pneumocytes, it may serve as a marker for these cells in the study of their development and biology.

High concentration of carboxypeptidase M in lungs: presence of the enzyme in alveolar type I cells

The presence of high concentrations of membrane-bound carboxypeptidase M in human, baboon, dog, and rat lung was established by employing a variety of techniques. The activity of the enzyme in the membrane-enriched fractions of human, baboon, dog, and rat lung, measured with fluorescent dansyl substrate (DNS-Ala-Arg), was 198, 261, 484, and 153 nmol/h/mg protein, respectively. This activity in the lung was much higher than that found in the heart, liver, or kidney. The enzyme, optimally active around neutral pH, was completely inhibited by 10 microM 2-mercaptomethyl-3-guanidinoethylthiopropanoic acid and was activated by 1 mM CoCl2 to 170%. Antibody to human carboxypeptidase M immunoprecipitated the solubilized carboxypeptidase from human (98%), baboon (81%), and dog (88%) lung membrane fractions. Carboxypeptidase M is attached to lung membranes by a phosphatidylinositol glycan anchor; thus, it is released with bacterial phospholipase C. Membrane fractions from cultured human pulmonary arterial endothelial cells also contained high carboxypeptidase M activity (254 nmol/h/mg protein). A Northern blot of poly(A)+ RNA from various human tissues showed the presence of a high level of carboxypeptidase M mRNA in human lung and placenta. Finally, immunohistochemistry, employing purified antibody to the enzyme, revealed in fluorescent light microscopy that carboxypeptidase M is present in alveolar type I pneumocytes and in macrophages in apparently lower concentration. In contrast, type II alveolar epithelial cells gave negative results. Because carboxypeptidase M cleaves a variety of active peptides (e.g., bradykinin, anaphylatoxins), it may protect the alveolar surface from the effects of these peptides. In addition, carboxypeptidase M could be a marker enzyme for type I cells.

Type IV collagen production by rat pulmonary alveolar epithelial cells

Maintenance and repair of the pulmonary alveolar basement membrane are critical processes for preserving normal alveolar structure and function. To elucidate the mechanisms that control type IV collagen production by pulmonary alveolar epithelial cells, type II pneumocytes from rat lungs were isolated and maintained in tissue culture as monolayers. Using Northern blot analysis and metabolic labeling, we found that the cultured epithelial cells express type IV collagen mRNA and incorporate [3H]proline into type IV collagen. To determine the effects of phenotype on control of type IV collagen synthesis, we took advantage of the well-described observation that isolated type II cells lose their distinctive type II features when cultured on plastic in serum-containing medium for 7 days and assume an appearance more like that of type I epithelial cells. We found that [3H]proline incorporation into type IV collagen increased from day 1 to day 2 and thereafter decreased gradually up to day 7. Despite this decrease in [3H]proline incorporation, type IV collagen mRNA increased over the same period. If the loss of type II cell characteristics was prevented by culturing the cells in EHS matrix, a basement membrane-like extracellular matrix, there was little increase in relative abundance of type IV collagen mRNA as compared with cells cultured on plastic. We therefore conclude that type IV collagen production by isolated pulmonary alveolar epithelial cells is controlled, at least in part, by translational or post-translational mechanisms. Furthermore, the full type II cell phenotype is not required for expression of type IV collagen genes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cell surface carbohydrates of rat alveolar type II cells in primary culture

Cell surface carbohydrates have been shown to be altered during cellular differentiation. Alveolar type II (ATII) cells in culture gradually lose their differentiated phenotype. Therefore, the aim of this study was: (1) to characterize changes in terminal carbohydrates of cell surface glycoproteins of rat ATII cells cultured for 1 to 5 days on plastic, and (2) to assess the concomitant changes in sialidase and sialyltransferase activity of ATII cell homogenates. Cells were surface-labeled with potassium-[3H]-borohydride after oxidation by sodium periodate at millimolar concentrations, galactose oxidase or neuraminidase plus galactose oxidase, allowing for the specific labeling of terminal sialic acids, terminal galactose/N-acetylgalactosamine (Gal/GalNAc), or terminal an penultimate Gal/GalNAc residues, respectively. Glycoproteins were separated by SDS-PAGE. On day 1, cells were heavily coated with sialic acids, since no labeling could be introduced with galactose oxidase alone. From day 1 to day 5, we observed a selective and progressive desialylation of two glycoproteins (200 and 165 kD). At the same time, the ATII cells' sialidase activity (pH 4.2) exhibited an 8-fold increase (60.3 +/- 4.0 pmol/min/mg protein on day 1 versus 406.9 +/- 3.7 pmol/min/mg protein on day 5), whereas the sialyltransferase activity increased 2-fold (212 +/- 8 fmol/min/mg protein on day 1 versus 395 +/- 82 fmol/min/mg protein on day 5) and the supernatant sialidase activity was unchanged (2.8 +/- 0.7 pmol/min/ml on day 5). Thus, the phenotypic changes of ATII cells in primary culture are accompanied by a partial cell surface desialylation and an increase in intracellular sialidase activity.

Differentiation-related expression of ICAM-1 by rat alveolar epithelial cells

Local regulation of immune and inflammatory responses within the alveolar space is a critical aspect of normal pulmonary host defense. The type I and type II epithelial cells that line the alveolar space are in intimate contact with lymphocytes and macrophages within the alveolar space and are ideally situated to provide regulatory signals to these effector cells. The present studies were undertaken to investigate the expression by rat alveolar epithelial cells in vitro and in vivo of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), an adhesion molecule that is involved in migration and activation of T cells and macrophages. An antibody specifically blocking rat ICAM-1 (mAb 1A29) inhibited the adherence of activated T lymphoblasts to monolayers of type II alveolar epithelial cells. The expression of ICAM-1 protein by alveolar epithelial cells in vitro was confirmed both by immunofluorescence microscopy and by Western blot analysis. However, in each instance, ICAM-1 was not detected in type II cells the day of isolation, but appeared at low levels after 1 day and in abundance throughout the monolayer after 2 days, with sustained expression thereafter. This suggested that ICAM-1 expression might be a type I cell feature, which was induced as isolated type II cells underwent transformation towards the type I cell-like phenotype in vitro. Using immunofluorescence microscopy on frozen sections of normal lung, ICAM-1 was found in a linear distribution along the alveolar space, consistent with expression on type I cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A rat monoclonal antibody specific for murine type 1 pneumocytes

A rat monoclonal antibody (MAb), 411-52, that binds specifically to murine pulmonary alveolar type 1 cells was developed. The cell-binding specificity of MAb 411-52 was assessed by light microscopy on immunoperoxidase-labeled tissue sections, electron microscopy on immunogold-labeled tissue blocks, and by flow cytometric analysis and fluorescence-activated cell sorting of immunofluorescently labeled cells enzymatically dissociated from murine lungs. The epitope recognized by MAb 411-52 was first detected in immunoperoxidase-stained sections of neonatal lungs of mice approximately 3 weeks after birth. In adult mice, the MAb 411-52-directed, immunoperoxidase-staining pattern was uniform throughout the lung parenchyma, was restricted to the luminal surfaces of alveoli, and was absent from type 2, endothelial, and interstitial cells, as well as from the epithelial cells of conducting airways. Electron microscopic analysis of immunogold-labeled lung tissue confirmed the type 1 cell binding specificity of MAb 411-52. Analysis by multiparameter, laser flow cytometry indicated that MAb 411-52 binds to 4.6 +/- 0.5% (mean +/- SD) of enzymatically dissociated cells from the lungs of normal adult mice. The absence of immunogold-labeling of type 2 cells suggested that the epitope recognized by MAb 411-52 might be a differentiation marker for the type 1 cell phenotype. With this MAb and standard immunohistochemical techniques, it is possible to visualize directly type 1 cells in paraffin sections.

Morphogenetic and functional activity of type II cells in early fetal rhesus monkey lungs. A comparison between primates and rodents

To evaluate further the role of type II alveolar epithelial cells in primate lung development, lungs of fetal (46 to 155 days gestational age [DGA]), postnatal, and adult rhesus monkeys were investigated with antibodies against surfactant protein A (SP-A), Alcian blue (AB) staining, and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining with/without alpha-amylase pre-treatment. In adult and postnatal lungs, type II cells (cuboid shape; large, roundish nucleus) displayed a unique cytoplasmic staining for SP-A. In prenatal lungs, a low-columnar to cuboid type of cell with a large, roundish nucleus was first detectable by 62 DGA. It was the only cell type to line the distalmost tubules or buds of the prospective respiratory tract. It exhibited (initially partial) cytoplasmic staining for SP-A. AB and PAS stainings showed the presence of acid glycoconjugates and large apical and/or basal glycogen fields. After 95 DGA, the lining of the distal respiratory tract additionally displayed flatter cells with immunoreactivity for SP-A and non-reactive zones. Columnar epithelium (pseudostratified or simple) never stained for SP-A. We conclude that morphologically identifiable type II cells first appear in fetal rhesus monkey lungs by 62 DGA (pseudoglandular period). The cells may already synthesize surfactant and extracellular matrix components. They generate type I cells, and thus the entire pulmonary acinus lining. These conclusions for the rhesus monkey fully agree with our earlier conclusions for another primate, the human, and for rodents. However, as presently shown, primates differ greatly from rodents with respect to the timing of type II cell differentiation (at 29-38% versus 73-75% of gestation or at 22-25% versus 48-49% of prenatal lung development).

Alterations in eicosanoid production by rat alveolar type II cells isolated after silica-induced lung injury

Although alveolar type II cells in primary culture have been shown to produce eicosanoids and exposure of type II cells to silica in vitro alters eicosanoid production, the production of eicosanoids by alveolar type II cells isolated after acute lung injury in vivo has not been evaluated. Therefore, we investigated the production of arachidonic acid (AA) metabolites by alveolar type II cells isolated after silica-induced lung injury. Alveolar type II cells were isolated from rats 14 days after intratracheal silica instillation and from untreated animals. Type II cells were separated into normotrophic and hypertrophic populations by centrifugal elutriation, and secreted eicosanoids were determined under basal and stimulated conditions by enzyme immunoassay on the day of isolation and after 1 day in culture. Under basal conditions, freshly isolated type II cells from silica-treated animals produced more prostaglandin (PG) E2 than 6-keto-PGF1 alpha or thromboxane B2 (TxB2). Production of all three prostanoids increased with increasing cell size. The calcium ionophore A23187 stimulated a less than 2-fold increase in PGE2 and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha production in all groups of cells. In contrast, this calcium ionophore greatly enhanced TxB2 and leukotriene C4 (LTC4) production by normotrophic type II cells from both untreated and silica-treated animals. Incubation with exogenous AA suggested that the increased capability of the hypertrophic cells to synthesize PGE2 and TxB2 was due primarily to an increase in arachidonate availability. The hypertrophic type II cells also appear to have increased prostacyclin synthase activity. There were no differences in the catabolism of PGE2 between the normotrophic and the hypertrophic type II cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Reactivity of alveolar epithelial cells in primary culture with type I cell monoclonal antibodies

An understanding of the process of alveolar epithelial cell growth and differentiation requires the ability to trace and analyze the phenotypic transitions that the cells undergo. This analysis demands specific phenotypic probes to type II and, especially, type I pneumocytes. To this end, monoclonal antibodies have been generated to type I alveolar epithelial cells using an approach designed to enhance production of lung-specific clones from a crude lung membrane preparation. The monoclonal antibodies were screened by a combination of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunohistochemical techniques, with the determination of type I cell specificity resting primarily on immunoelectron microscopic localization. Two of these new markers of the type I pneumocyte phenotype (II F1 and VIII B2) were used to analyze primary cultures of type II cells growing on standard tissue culture plastic and on a variety of substrata reported to affect the morphology of these cells in culture. On tissue culture plastic, the antibodies fail to react with early (days 1 to 3) type II cell cultures. The cells become progressively more reactive with time in culture to a plateau of approximately 6 times background by day 8, with a maximum rate of increase between days 3 and 5. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that type II cells in primary culture undergo at least partial differentiation into type I cells. Type II cells grown on laminin, which reportedly delays the loss of type II cell appearance, and on fibronectin, which has been reported to facilitate cell spreading and loss of type II cell features, develop the type I cell markers during cultivation in vitro with kinetics similar to those on uncoated tissue culture plastic. Cells on type I collagen and on tissue culture-treated Nuclepore filters, which have been reported to support monolayers with type I cell-like morphology, also increase their expression of the II F1 and VIII B2 epitopes around days 3 to 5. Taken together with available morphologic information, these data suggest that expression of different alveolar epithelial cell phenotypic markers by type II cells in primary culture may be independently regulated. The monoclonal antibody probes described in this report should prove useful in the continued investigation of the mechanisms and regulation of alveolar epithelial cell differentiation.

A rat alveolar type II cell line developed by adenovirus 12SE1A gene transfer

The regulation of pulmonary alveolar type II cell proliferation and differentiation is poorly understood and has been difficult to study, in part due to lack of proliferation, cellular heterogeneity, and phenotypic instability of type II cells in primary culture. To develop a stable population of homogeneous cells capable of proliferation, we transfected type II cells isolated from the lungs of neonatal rats with an immortalizing oncogene, adenovirus 12SE1A, using a retroviral vector. Individual clones were isolated, screened for cytokeratin expression, and further characterized. One of the 12SE1A expressing clones, E1A-T2, has epithelial features such as cytokeratin expression and tight junctions, and coexpresses vimentin. E1A-T2 rapidly proliferate when grown in 10% fetal bovine serum, and slow their growth at confluence. A labeling index of greater than 90% during a 24-h pulse of [3H]thymidine reflects a uniform population of proliferating cells. E1A-T2 can be grown and passed in 0.4% fetal bovine serum, suggesting the production of an autocrine growth factor(s). The type II cell Maclura pomifera agglutinin (MPA)-binding glycoprotein, MPA-gp200, appears to be expressed in an incompletely glycosylated form, whereas other features of differentiated type II cells, such as lamellar bodies, surfactant protein A, and a high percentage of saturated phosphatidylcholine, are absent. Homogeneous, clonally derived type II cell lines, such as E1A-T2 may retain sufficient type II cell features of interest to test new hypotheses relating to cell proliferation and differentiation otherwise not feasible using primary cultures of type II cells.

Mechanisms and regulation of ion transport in adult mammalian alveolar type II pneumocytes

The adult alveolar epithelium consists of type I and type II (ATII) pneumocytes that form a tight barrier, which severely restricts the entry of lipid-insoluble molecules from the interstitial to the alveolar space. Current in vivo and in vitro evidence indicates that the alveolar epithelium is also an absorptive epithelium, capable of transporting Na+ from the alveolar lumen, which is bathed by a small amount of epithelial lining fluid, to the interstitial space. The in situ localization of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity in ATII cells and the fact that these cells are involved in a number of crucial functions, such as surfactant secretion and alveolar remodeling after injury, led investigators to examine their transport characteristics. Radioactive flux studies, in both freshly isolated and cultured cells, and bioelectric measurements in ATII cells grown on porous supports indicate that they transport Na+ according to the Koefoed-Johnsen and Ussing model of epithelial transport. Na+ enters the apical membrane, because of the favorable electrochemical gradient, through Na+ cotransporters, a Na(+)-H+ antiport, and cation channels and is pumped across the basolateral membrane by a ouabain-sensitive Na(+)-K+ pump. Na+ transport is enhanced by substances that increase intracellular adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate. In addition to Na+ transporters, ATII cells contain several transporters that regulate their intracellular pH, including a H(+)-ATPase, which may explain the low pH of the epithelial lining fluid. The absorptive properties of ATII cells may play an important role in regulating the degree of alveolar fluid in health and disease.

Identification of pneumocin, a developmentally regulated apical membrane glycoprotein in rat lung type II and Clara cells

Pneumocin (Mr, 165 kD) is a recently identified apical membrane surface sialoglycoprotein marker of type II pneumocytes. A murine monoclonal IgG1 subclass-producing clone 4A (4A mAb), which was developed against the purified pneumocin, and recognized pneumocin on Western blots of adult rat lung homogenates, was used to study expression of the glycoprotein in developing rat lungs. Pneumocin localized to apical membranes of late fetal, neonatal, and adult rat type II pneumocytes as well as Clara cells in situ, by immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy. Faint immunofluorescence was observed in 17-d fetal lungs. However, 19-d fetal lungs showed intense immunofluorescence with the antibody. On immunoelectron microscopy, apical membranes of 19-d fetal and adult rat lung type II cells were labeled by 4A mAb, but type I cells were not stained. On Western blots, amounts of pneumocin increased up to the fourth day after birth, when near-adult levels were attained. Lower molecular weight forms (Mr, 80 to 90 kD) were recognized in 17-d fetal lung. These bands decreased in amount with a corresponding increase in the 165-kD band that was typically observed in adult lungs. Immunoglobulins that were eluted from polyvinylidene difluoride strips containing the 165-kD band recognized the Mr 80 to 90 kD bands and 50-kD component, suggesting that fetal forms of the protein shared an epitope in common with the adult pneumocin. Reactivity of the glycoprotein with 4A mAb was destroyed by enzymatic digestion with trypsin and staphylococcal V8 protease. These data demonstrate that pneumocin is a developmentally regulated apical membrane marker of differentiated type II and Clara cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Serum accelerates the loss of type II cell differentiation in vitro

The differentiated phenotype of the alveolar type II cell is rapidly altered in vitro. To evaluate factors that might influence this process, we isolated and plated rat type II cells in serum-supplemented media to promote adherence and then maintained the cells in a simple nutrient medium in the absence (S- cells) or presence (S+ cells) of serum for 5 to 7 d. The type II S- cells remained metabolically active. Despite protein synthesis that was 50% that of S+ cells, S- cells continued to synthesize a broad spectrum of proteins and to express several features of type II cell differentiation. They synthesized an apical integral membrane glycoprotein, Maclura pomifera agglutinin (MPA)-gp200, and a cytokeratin, No. 19, while S+ cells did not. When supplemented with linoleic acid, S- cells contained lamellar and multivesicular bodies, incorporated cell surface MPA into these structures, and secreted their phosphatidylcholine (PC) in response to mastoparan. Despite the relative synthesis of higher levels of total and saturated PC in S- cells supplemented with linoleic acid, phosphatidylglycerol remained diminished. A surfactant protein (SP-A) was present in S- cells, but synthesis was not detected. These studies demonstrate that serum accelerates the loss of type II cell differentiation in vitro and that the expression of type II cell markers of differentiation is not inherently linked.

Ontogeny of pulmonary alveolar epithelial markers of differentiation

We studied differentiation of the pulmonary epithelium in the periphery of fetal rat lung in vivo and in vitro by comparing the ontogeny of cell-surface glycoconjugates with that of surfactant phospholipids. Apical surface binding of the lectin Maclura pomifera agglutinin (MPA) and expression of a 200-kDa MPA-binding glycoprotein (MPA-gp200) was evident at 20 days gestation in type 2 cells, but did not correlate with ultrastructural features of type 2 cell differentiation. Epithelial cells isolated from peripheral lung of 18-day gestation fetal rats displayed hormone-sensitive surfactant synthesis prior to the hormone-insensitive expression of MPA-gp200. Expression of MPA-gp200 occurred in association with the appearance of many new apical surface proteins suggesting a hormone-independent process of polar membrane differentiation. Thus membrane and secretory differentiation are discordant and can be dissociated. In vivo binding of Ricinus communis 1 agglutinin (RCA1), an apical marker of the differentiated alveolar type 1 cell occurred in undifferentiated peripheral lung epithelial cells as early as 18 days gestation, disappeared from differentiating type 2 cells and appeared in differentiated type 1 cells. Both undifferentiated fetal epithelial cells at 18 days gestation and fully differentiated type 1 cells express multiple glycoproteins with terminal beta-linked galactose residues which bind RCA1. Some of these RCA1-binding glycoproteins appear to be similar. These observations suggest that alveolar epithelial type 1 cells may derive directly from undifferentiated peripheral lung epithelial cells as well as from fully differentiated type 2 cells. In addition, terminal differentiation of fetal lung peripheral epithelium into type 1 and type 2 cells may involve repression as well as induction of differentiation-related genes.

Type I cell-like morphology in tight alveolar epithelial monolayers

The pulmonary alveolar epithelium separates air spaces from a fluid-filled interstitium and might be expected to exhibit high resistance to fluid and solute movement. Previous studies of alveolar epithelial barrier properties have been limited due to the complex anatomy of adult mammalian lung. In this study, we characterized a model of isolated alveolar epithelium with respect to barrier transport properties and cell morphology. Alveolar epithelial cells were isolated from rat lungs and grown as monolayers on tissue culture-treated Nuclepore filters. On Days 2-6 in primary culture, monolayers were analyzed for transepithelial resistance (Rt) and processed for electron microscopy. Mean cell surface area and arithmetic mean thickness (AMT) were determined using morphometric techniques. By Day 5, alveolar epithelial cells in vitro exhibited morphologic characteristics of type I alveolar pneumocytes, with thin cytoplasmic extensions and protruding nuclei. Morphometric data demonstrated that alveolar pneumocytes in vitro develop increased surface area and decreased cytoplasmic AMT similar to young type I cells in vivo. Concurrent with the appearance of type I cell-like morphology, monolayers exhibited high Rt (greater than 1000 omega.cm2), consistent with the development of tight barrier properties. These monolayers of isolated alveolar epithelial cells may reflect the physiological and morphological properties of the alveolar epithelium in vivo.

Influence of the extracellular matrix on type 2 cell differentiation

Growth and division of type II pulmonary epithelial cells are important components of the pathway by which the alveolar surface is repaired following several forms of lung injury. These processes, which result in reepithelialization of the denuded alveolar basement membrane, involve loss of type II cell differentiation and transition to a type I epithelium. As in other cells, the extracellular matrix appears to be an important determinant of type II cell differentiation. This effect on the type II cell is exerted by both simple and complex matrices and may be modulated by active synthesis and remodeling of the matrix components by the pneumocytes themselves. In general, laminin or laminin-rich complex surfaces favor cellular differentiation; fibronectin or fibronectin-rich complex matrices accelerate loss of differentiated form and function. In both cases, matrix-initiated changes in the type II cell involve regulation of cell shape and morphology, hormone responsiveness, secretory activity, phospholipid synthesis, protein turnover, and gene expression. These influences of the extracellular matrix, along with the effects of locally acting soluble factors, likely direct the cellular transitions required for restoration of a physiologically competent alveolar surface during the repair of lung injury.