The alveolar type II epithelial cell: a multifunctional pneumocyte.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Castranova, Vincent ; Miles PR ; Rabovsky J ; Tucker JH
• Description:
  Methods for obtaining purified preparations of alveolar type-II cells were described, and data on the properties and functions of type-II cells were reviewed. Four methods for isolation and purification of type-II cells were discussed: density gradient centrifugation yielding 0.6 million cells per rat with a purity of 90 percent; density gradient centrifugation at a lower purity (80 percent) and higher yield (28 million cells per rat) followed by purification by differential adherence resulting in preparations of 92 percent purity and a seeding efficiency of 68 percent; centrifugal elutriation yielding 10 million cells per rat with 85 percent purity; and unit gravity sedimentation giving 90 percent type-II cells, 9 million per rat. Four functions of type-II cells were reviewed: synthesis and secretion of surfactant critical to normal lung function, with the major function of decreasing the surface tension at the air to liquid interface of the lung; a site for metabolism of foreign substances (xenobiotics), including drugs and environmental pollutants; a major mechanism of the cytochrome-P- 450 dependent monooxygenase system, which catalyzed the monooxygenation of a wide variety of lipophilic substances, and which was localized in the microsomal fraction of type-II cells and also bronchiolar nonciliated Clara cells; and the important role of type-II cells in transepithelial water movement, which was necessary to maintain the alveoli in a dry condition that minimized the distance between the alveolar air space and the pulmonary capillary blood. Type-II cells responded to exposure to high oxygen (7782447) concentrations with increased mitotic activity, with probable dedifferentiation to type-I cells, thus enhancing the lung's ability to recover from oxygen overexposure. The authors conclude that type- II cellular preparations afford bioassay systems to monitor the effects of occupational or environmental pollutants on alveolar pneumocytes and should yield important information on the etiology of pulmonary disease. Description provided by NIOSH
• Subjects:
  • Biological Assay
  • Environmental Exposure
  • Environmental Pollution
  • Irritants
  • Laboratories
  • Lung
  • Occupational Health
  • Respiratory System
  • Respiratory Tract Diseases
  • Safety
• Keywords:
  • NIOSH-Author
  • Lung-cells
  • Pulmonary-system-disorders
  • Laboratory-animals
  • Alveolar-cells
  • Laboratory-techniques
  • In-vitro-studies
  • Environmental-pollution
  • Respiratory-irritants
  • Lung-tissue
  More +
• ISSN:
  0041-008X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DRDS - Division of Respiratory Disease Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  472-483
• Volume:
  93
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00181302
• Citation:
  Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 1988 May; 93(3):472-483
• CAS Registry Number:
  • Oxygen (CAS RN 7782-44-7)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1988
• NORA Priority Area:
  Pulmonary System Disorders
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/185586/cdc_185586_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 5.38 MB]
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:bb14e206e1400964c12cc4d2d20f4eef38f77939dbae3a5443f7ea71d69e101b50214a7f539cdfee76bf57ec749df7684f6ef9ccd5fdc4e03a7313067850fcca