The formation of granules in the bronchiolar Clara cells of the rat. II. Enzyme cytochemistry

The role and importance of club cells (Clara cells) in the pathogenesis of some respiratory diseases

The report presents the cellular structure of the respiratory system as well as the history of club cells (Clara cells), their ultrastructure, and location in the airways and human organs. The authors discuss the biochemical structure of proteins secreted by these cells and their importance for the integrity and regeneration of the airway epithelium. Their role as progenitor cells for the airway epithelium and their involvement in the biotransformation of toxic xenobiotics introduced into the lungs during breathing is emphasized. This is followed by a discussion of the clinical aspects associated with club cells, demonstrating that tracking the serum concentration of club cell-secreted proteins is helpful in the diagnosis of a number of lung tissue diseases. Finally, suggestions are provided regarding the possible use of proteins secreted by club cells in the treatment of serious respiratory conditions.

Determination of Clara cell protein urinary elimination as a marker of tubular dysfunction

Clara cell 16-kDa protein (CC16) is a protein expressed primarily by the bronchial cells. It is rapidly eliminated by glomerular filtration, reabsorbed almost entirely, and catabolized in proximal tubule cells. To date, normal values for urinary CC16 in healthy children have not been determined. We have studied 63 pediatric patients (mean age 8.17 +/- 3.91 years) and 31 healthy children (control group; mean age 8.83 +/- 3.65 years). In the control group, the CC16/creatinine ratio was 1.22 +/- 1.52 microg/g. In 16 out of 31 control children, the value of the ratio was zero. Fourteen patients (22.2%) showed a high CC16/creatinine ratio; in contrast, among these same patients, the ratio N-acetyl-beta-D: -glucosaminidase (NAG)/creatinine was elevated in seven cases (11.1%) and the ratio beta2-microglobulin/creatinine was elevated in seven cases (11.1%). The three parameters were in agreement in 51 patients (80.9%). Among the patients, the CC16/creatinine ratio was correlated with both the beta2-microglobulin/creatinina ratio (r = 0.76, P < 0.001) and the NAG/creatinine ratio (r = 0.6, P < 0.001). Our findings indicate that CC16 is a good marker of proximal tubular function in childhood. The highest observed values were in children with proximal tubulopathies, in children with chronic renal failure, and in those treated with cyclosporine.

Clara cell proteins

Clara cells are nonciliated, nonmucous, secretory cells of the pulmonary airways. These cells are known to secrete a variety of proteins, including Clara cell 10-kDa protein/uteroglobin. This protein consists of a homodimer of 70-77 amino acid polypeptides arranged in antiparallel fashion. In vitro testing suggests that the protein suppresses inflammation. The physiologic role of the protein remains to be determined.

Morphological heterogeneity of secretory granules of rat Clara cells: an immunocytochemical study

The secretory granules of rat bronchiolar Clara cells were classified into different types by their ultrastructural appearances followed by immunocytochemistry using anti-rat 10 kDa Clara cell-specific protein (10 kDa CCSP) antibody. One predominant type was the oval to round granule (type A granule), of which the matrix was composed of a map-like mixture of electron-dense and less electron-dense material. Another predominant type was the rod-shaped granule (type B granule). The content of type B granules varied from a finely fibrillar (type B1 granule) to an electron-dense, rod-like (type B3 granule) structure. Various intermediate types (type B2 granule) between type B1 and B3 granules were also found. Small cytoplasmic vesicles were found occasionally in close proximity to type B2 or B3 granule. Another type of granule (type C granule) was large, up to 8 microns in diameter, and contained a moderately electron-dense amorphous matrix. Both type A and C granules stained at a similar density with the antibody. The nascent form of type A granules, which was found in the vicinity to the trans face of the Golgi apparatus, was also labeled. On the other hand, the labeling density of type B granules varied: type B1 granules were almost devoid of immunolabeling, whereas type B3 granules were intensely labeled. Type B2 granules stained with the antibody; however, the labeling density was less than that of type B3 granules. The small cytoplasmic vesicles of type B2 granules were labeled.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Uptake and intracellular transport of cationic ferritin in the bronchiolar and alveolar epithelia of the rat

Cationic ferritin was used as a marker to reveal the processes of endocytosis and intracellular transport in bronchiolar and alveolar epithelia. The marker was injected into the lung via the trachea, and ultrastructural observation of the distribution of ferritin particles in bronchiolar and alveolar epithelial cells was carried out at intervals of 5, 15, 30 and 60 min after the injection. The luminal surface of the airway and the alveolar epithelium showed diffuse labeling with cationic ferritin. In general, ferritin particles were observed in vesicles and vacuoles of the bronchiolar and alveolar epithelial cells within 5 min of injection; they appeared in multivesicular bodies within 15 min. Multivesicular bodies and secondary lysosomes containing ferritin particles, some of which showed a positive reaction for acid phosphatase, were seen in the basal cytoplasm within 30 min; ferritin particles appeared in the basal lamina below the Clara cells, ciliated cells and type 2 alveolar cells within 30 min. Ferritin particles were seen in ovoid granules of some Clara cells and in lamellar inclusion bodies of many type 2 alveolar cells. Brush cells and type 1 alveolar cells took up only a small quantity of ferritin particles.

Ultrastructural effects of phosphorothionates and other inhibitors of lung monooxygenases: protection against trialkylphosphorothiolate-induced lung injury

An oral dose (25 mg/kg) of O,O,S-triethylphosphorothiolate (OOSEtO) to rats results in selective injury of type I pneumocytes, degranulation of Clara cells, and pronounced increase in lung weight. A dose (12.5 mg/kg) of the related compound O,O,S-trimethylphosphorothionate (OOSMeS) causes neither injury nor degranulation but, when administered 2 h before OOSEtO (25 mg/kg), protects against all the signs of lung injury that would otherwise result from this dose of the compound. The administration of OOSMeS also results in the formation of large, electron-lucent granules within the apical cytoplasm of the Clara cells. The granules are not birefringent, and histochemical procedures indicate that they do not contain carbohydrate but may consist of lipid accumulated around a proteinaceous core. Similar granules are also observed after administration of p-xylene, pseudocumene, and the pesticide bromophos. These compounds, like OOSMeS, inhibit 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase activity in the lung and are capable of protecting against trialkylphosphorothiolate toxicity. This inhibition of 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase activity suggests loss of pulmonary cytochrome P-450. This loss may account for both the protective action of these compounds and the formation of abnormal granules within Clara cells.

Amino-acid and cDNA nucleotide sequences of human Clara cell 10 kDa protein

A human lung cDNA expression library was screened by using a rabbit antiserum specific for a human Clara cell 10 kDa protein. The cDNA from two positive clones was sequenced by the dideoxy chain termination method. The nucleotide and primary amino-acid sequence deduced therefrom are presented. The N-terminal amino-acid sequence of the Clara cell 10 kDa protein, purified from bronchoalveolar lavage, was also determined. The deduced and experimentally determined sequences were identical where data for both were available. From the amino-acid composition, deduced and experimentally determined amino-acid sequences, it was determined that the 10 kDa protein in bronchoalveolar lavage consists of two identical 70-amino-acid long polypeptide chains joined by two cystine residues. The size of mRNA for the protein was found to be about 0.6 kb and the monomeric nascent protein, obtained by in vitro translation of lung mRNA was about 7.3 kDa in size. The 10 kDa protein recovered from bronchoalveolar lavage has 61% sequence identity with rabbit uteroglobin, the two proteins have common predicted secondary structures with marked surface differences when comparing predicted and actual structure determined by X-ray diffraction. The differences imply similarity of structure but, not identity of function.

Immunohistochemical localization of the secretory products of rat Clara cells

We used proteins in rat lung lavage fluid to successfully produce an antiserum against Clara cell secretory products. When used with the immunoperoxidase method, the antiserum specifically stained cells of the bronchiolar lining, which are morphologically consistent with Clara cells, as well as a few columnar cells in the bronchial and tracheal mucosa. B-5-fixed lung tissue furthermore demonstrated the immunoreactive layer over the bronchiolar epithelium. The alveolar and bronchial lining layers, on the other hand, were not immunoreactive, although a trace of granular immunoreactivity was seen in the latter. It was suggested that Clara cells produce and secrete some proteinaceous materials, which are mainly localized in the bronchiolar area after secretion and are seldom transferred into the alveolar lining layer. Our antibody cross-reacted with the Clara cells of mice, but not with those of hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs, cats, monkeys, and man. The high degree of specificity of this antisera to Clara cells in formalin-fixed materials should make it a valuable tool for identifying Clara cell change in non-neoplastic lung pathology and in obtaining some insights into cell origin in neoplastic diseases.

Isolation and amino acid composition of the isotypes of a rat Clara cell specific protein

A protein of molecular weight about 10,000 (Clara cell protein C) present in lung lavage fluid and specific to Clara cells has been shown to have three isotypes. The isotypes have been individually isolated and purified by a combination of molecular sieving, ion exchange chromatography, column chromatofocusing, and reverse phase chromatography. The protein was monitored by immunoblotting and its purity tested by silver staining of the gel following sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. About 33.7% of the 10-kDa protein present in starting rat lavage was recovered in final pure preparation. The 10-kDa Clara cell protein amounted to 0.38% of the total protein in rat lung lavage fluid. The three isotypes were present in a ratio of 1.0:2.8:8.8, the amounts increasing with decreasing pI. None of the isotypes bound to concanavalin A. The amino acid compositions of the three isotypes were similar and were remarkable in that the contents of leucine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, serine, and proline were high, tyrosine was present in low amounts, and methionine and histidine were absent.

Ultrastructural changes in rat Clara cells induced by a single dose of O,S,S-trimethyl phosphorodithioate

The oral administration of an LD50 dose (25 mg/kg) of O,S,S-trimethyl phosphorodithioate to rats induced immediate, cholinergic symptoms. A delayed respiratory crisis followed, 3-4 days later, involving a pronounced increase in lung weight and extensive injury to the alveolar epithelium. This compound also induced the immediate liberation of secretory granules from the Clara cells. Minor changes in the surface appearance of these cells were also observed but no signs of injury were found in any cells of the bronchiolar epithelium. The complement of secretory granules was monitored, by the morphometric analysis of ultrathin sections. Clara cells from control animals were found to contain 9.55 +/- 1.16 (SEM) granules per cell profile. The Clara cells from dosed animals were largely devoid of granules until the 3rd day after administration. Many of these agranular cells were arranged in clusters and often showed signs of mitotic division. In surviving animals the subsequent replacement of granules resulted in a large increase in the numbers present and many exhibited abnormal morphology. Over twice the normal complement of granules, 22.45 +/- 0.42 (SEM) per cell profile, was found 6 days after dosing. The complement of granules subsequently returned to normal levels and the clusters of Clara cells were resolved within 14 days of dosing.

Clara cell granules of peripheral lung cancers

Thirty-five peripheral carcinomas of human lungs were morphologically examined in comparison with the bronchiolar nonciliated epithelium. Clara cell granules were found not only in 21 cases of papillary adenocarcinoma, including three of classical bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma, but also two of acinar and four of solid carcinoma. The granules of tumor cells were identical to those of bronchiolar nonciliated cells on histochemical and ultrastructural levels. Most granules consisted of a monotonous and finely granular matrix, but there were variants containing fingerprint-like lamellae and small vesicles. These variants were also found in nonciliated cells of normal bronchiolar epithelium. The amount of granules was related to the degree of tumor differentiation. It is suggested that most peripheral carcinomas of the lungs have a potential for Clara cell differentiation, irrespective of whether they exhibit any histologic appearances.

Biochemical, cytological, and histological alterations in rat lung following acute beryllium aerosol exposure

Fischer 344 rats were exposed for 1 hr to an aerosol of BeO generated at a temperature of 560 degrees C. An initial lung burden of 500 +/- 4.1 ng Be was achieved. Animals were killed at 2.5 hr, and 2, 12, and 21 days postexposure. Bronchopulmonary lavage fluids were analyzed biochemically for enzymes, protein, lipids, and sialic acid, and cytologically to determine the composition of the free alveolar cell population. Nonspecific phagocytosis of yeast was measured in adherent macrophages. There were increases in all the biochemical parameters by 2 days postexposure, which peaked by Day 5 and then began to return to control levels. The cytological response on Days 2 and 5 was characterized by polymorphonuclear leucocyte infiltration and a depression in macrophage number and phagocytic activity. By Day 12, increased numbers of newly recruited macrophages with supranormal phagocytic activity populated the lung. During the same period, there was a reduction in lavage protein and lipid levels, perhaps due to a restoration of normal clearance mechanisms. Tissue morphological changes correlated well with the cytological and biochemical alterations.

The Clara cell: an electron microscopy examination of the terminal bronchioles of rats and monkeys following inhalation of hexachlorocyclopentadiene

The effects of inhalation of hexachlorocyclopentadiene (Hex) up to 14 wk on the terminal bronchioles of rats and monkeys was examined by electronic microscopy. Exposed rats elicited a concentration-related increase in the incidence of electron-lucent inclusions in the bronchiolar Clara cells when compared to controls. The inclusions in the high-concentration (0.2 ppm) group were round and more abundant than the rod-shaped inclusions observed in the intermediate (0.05 ppm) and low-concentration (0.01 ppm) exposure group. No ultrastructural changes were observed that could be attributed to the inhalation of Hex vapor in exposed monkeys. The origin and significance of these inclusions is discussed in light of the literature.

Filamentary rod-shaped granules in Clara cells of rats

The bronchiolar Clara cells of rats contain characteristic rod-shaped granules always surrounded by a unit membrane. These granules contain thin filaments about 9 to 10 nm in diameter lying in a pale matrix. Our morphological results suggest that the filamentary rod-shaped granules originate from the common, round-to-oval, electron-dense Clara cell granules, as we found different intermediate structures between these two kinds of granules. The electron-dense granules are digested by pepsin, whereas the filamentary rod-shaped granules are apparently not affected. The biochemical nature and the possible function of the filamentary rod-shaped granules are also discussed in relation to the secretory activity of the Clara cells.

The mode of secretion of the Clara cell in rat bronchiole: a freeze-fracture study

Freeze-fracture was used to study the nonciliated epithelial (Clara) cell of rat bronchiole. En face views of the P face of the luminal cell membrane reveal particle-free bulging and circular depressions at the presumptive sites of the membrane fusion between the cell membrane and secretory granule membrane. Cross fracture views of the cytoplasm reveal the membraneous continuity from the secretory granule to the luminal cell membrane with the decrease of the intramembrane particles. These findings indicate that the mode of secretion of the Clara cell is a merocrine secretion by exocytosis.

Ultrastructure of the nonciliated bronchiolar epithelial (Clara) cell of mammalian lung: I. A comparison of rabbit, guinea pig, rat, hamster, and mouse

The morphologic characteristics have been used to define the nonciliated bronchiolar epithelial: (1) abundance of agranular endoplasmic reticulum (AER) and (2) numerous membrane-bound ovoid granules. To quantitatively and qualitatively assess the ultrastructural homogeneity of this lung cell type among laboratory mammals used in lung research, we examined tissue from adult male rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, hamsters and mice. Following fixation by airway infusion at constant pressure (30 cm H2O), lungs were processed by a selective embedding technique and bronchioles of known anatomic location were examined by electron microscopy. Nonciliated bronchiolar epithelium of all five species contained avoid granules and abundant AER. Granules were most abundant in the rat (11.1 +/- 8.8 per cell) and least in the hamster (4.4 +/- 5.2 per cell). Granules were largest in hamster (0.72 +/- 0.25 micrometer) versus 0.44 micrometer or less in the other species. Granules were of uniform electron density except in the guinea pig. AER spherical mitochondria with few cristae were present only in mice, rabbit, and guinea pig. We concluded that there was considerable interspecies variation in abundance, size, and morphology of the granules, in abundance and distribution of AER; and in mitochondrial morphology.

Ultrastructure of the nonciliated bronchiolar epithelial (Clara) cell of mammalian lung: II. A comparison of horse, steer, sheep, dog, and cat

Two morphologic characteristics have been used to define the nonciliated bronchiolar epithelial cell: abundant agranular endoplasmic reticulum (AER) and membrane-bound avoid granules. To assess the ultrastructural homogeneity of this cell type in the lungs of large domestic mammals used as experimental models in pulmonary research, we evaluated lungs of horse, steer, sheep, dog, and cat. Bronchioles of known anatomic location were examined by electron microscopy following fixation by airway infusion at standard pressure and processing by selective embedding techniques. Nonciliated bronchiolar epithelium of the horse and sheep had numerous avoid granules (averaging above 15 per cell) and abundant AER. Granules were scarce (averaging less than 2 per cell) in steer and dog and absent in cat. AER was minimal in these species compared to horse and sheep. Glycogen was the dominant cytoplasmic feature in steer, dog, and cat, variable in sheep and rare in horse. Large mitochondria with few cristae and densely staining matrix were present only in cat. We concluded that nonciliated bronchiolar cells of horse and sheep were similar in essential features to this cell type in laboratory mammals, having granules and AER in abundance, while those of steer, dog, and cat were not.