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Organotypic cultures, established from enzymatically dispersed day 19 fetal rat lung, are comprised primarily of cells which are morphologically similar to type II alveolar pneumonocytes, the cells involved in surfactant synthesis. To further characterize these cultures, the nonspecific esterase pool was examined to determine if these cultures contained certain nonspecific esterases previously shown to be enzyme markers for the surfactant system. The results of biochemical, electrophoretic and cytochemical studies indicate that these organotypic cultures contain the same nonspecific esterases already demonstrated in surface active fractions derived from rat and mouse lung homogenates and pulmonary lavage fluid. As in whole lung, the major site of esterase activity in the organotypic cultures is the type II cell lamellar body, the putative site of surfactant synthesis and storage. These findings support the concept that the organotypic cultures derived from fetal rat lung are comprised predominantly of type II cells which retain surfactant associated functions in vitro.
W H Douglas, and
K R Hitchcock
March 1983,
Journal of cell science,
W H Douglas, and
K R Hitchcock
January 1976,
The American review of respiratory disease,
W H Douglas, and
K R Hitchcock
January 1976,
Developments in biological standardization,
W H Douglas, and
K R Hitchcock
January 1979,
International review of cytology. Supplement,
W H Douglas, and
K R Hitchcock
January 1984,
Experimental lung research,
W H Douglas, and
K R Hitchcock
December 1986,
The Biochemical journal,
W H Douglas, and
K R Hitchcock
January 1990,
Histopathology,
W H Douglas, and
K R Hitchcock
February 1980,
Biochimica et biophysica acta,
W H Douglas, and
K R Hitchcock
May 1981,
Biochimica et biophysica acta,
W H Douglas, and
K R Hitchcock
December 1985,
The Biochemical journal,
