scholarly journals Postnatal development of rat lung. Changes in lung lectin, elastin, acetylcholinesterase and other enzymes

1980 ◽  
Vol 188 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet T. Powell ◽  
Philip L. Whitney
Keyword(s):  
Lung Development ◽  
Specific Activity ◽  
Neonatal Rat ◽  
Cholinergic Innervation ◽  
Morphological Evidence ◽  
Rat Lung ◽  
Lectin Activity ◽  
Respiratory Organ ◽  
Morphometric Methods ◽  
Glucose 6 Phosphate Dehydrogenase

The development of rat lung from a primitive gas-exchange organ to the mature respiratory organ is in large part a postnatal phenomenon that has been well characterized by morphological and morphometric methods. The alveolarization of the lung is achieved during the first 3 weeks of life. Cholinergic innervation of rat lung also appears postnatally. We have monitored the presence or activity of several proteins during postnatal rat lung development. Newborn-rat lung contains negligible amounts of acetylcholinesterase, but the specific activity of acetylcholinesterase reaches adult values by postnatal day 10–11. Neonatal-rat lung does not contain significant amounts of β-galactoside-binding protein [Powell (1980) Biochem. J.187, 123–129]. The activity of this endogenous lung lectin was apparent at about day 6, was maximal between days 10 and 13 before declining 8–10-fold to reach adult values. Elastin has been implicated from morphological evidence as critical to lung restructuring. We have quantified the amount of desmosine and isodesmosine per g wet wt. of lung. The concentration of elastin, by this criterion, was low and stationary until postnatal day 7; a dramatic increase in elastin concentration occurred between days 10 and 20, when adult values were reached. The peak of lung-lectin activity was coincident with the maturation of acetylcholinesterase and the beginning of rapid elastin cross-linking. The specific activities of angiotensin-converting enzyme, carbonic anhydrase, choline kinase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase were also monitored.

Constitutive endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene expression is regulated during lung development

1995 ◽  
Vol 268 (4) ◽  
pp. L589-L595 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Kawai ◽  
D. B. Bloch ◽  
G. Filippov ◽  
D. Rabkina ◽  
H. C. Suen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Nitric Oxide ◽  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Pulmonary Vascular Resistance ◽  
Vascular Resistance ◽  
Lung Development ◽  
Blot Hybridization ◽  
Neonatal Rat ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Rat Lung

Nitric oxide (NO), a potent vasodilator, is a free-radical gas synthesized from L-arginine by nitric oxide synthases (NOS). NO appears to have an important role in perinatal changes in pulmonary vascular resistance. We previously identified mRNA encoding the constitutive endothelial NOS (ceNOS) isoform in human pulmonary tissue. To begin investigating functions of this enzyme in perinatal pulmonary development, we measured ceNOS mRNA and immunoreactivity in the developing rat lung. With the use of RNA blot hybridization, abundant pulmonary ceNOS mRNA was detected during the late fetal and postnatal period. The highest levels were detected within 24 h after birth, and elevated mRNA levels persisted for 16 days. In contrast, much lower levels of ceNOS mRNA were found in adult rat lung. With the use of immunoblot techniques, ceNOS protein levels were found to be correlated with mRNA levels. To identify the pulmonary cell types expressing the ceNOS gene, in situ hybridization with a digoxigenin-labeled cRNA probe was performed on sections from lungs of 1-day-old and adult rats. In lungs from 1-day-old rats, ceNOS mRNA was detected in alveolar and serosal epithelial cells as well as in endothelial cells lining small and medium-sized blood vessels. In contrast, in adult lungs, ceNOS gene transcripts were detected in rare endothelial cells. These observations suggest that ceNOS gene expression is regulated during lung development and that ceNOS is available to participate in the postnatal reduction of pulmonary vascular resistance. ceNOS gene expression in nonendothelial cells in the neonatal rat lung suggests that NO may also contribute to nonvascular functions in the developing lung.

Maternal copper supplementation protects the neonatal rat lung against the adverse effects of maternal nicotine exposure

2000 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. S. Maritz ◽  
H. L. Matthews ◽  
J. Aalbers
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Lung Development ◽  
Lysyl Oxidase ◽  
Neonatal Rat ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Nicotine Exposure ◽  
Rat Lung ◽  
Alveolar Volume ◽  
Copper Supplementation ◽  
Neonatal Lung

Maternal nicotine exposure interferes with the extracellular formation of the connective tissue frame-work of the neonatal lung, a process that is dependent on copper-dependent lysyl oxidase. It has been shown that, during the phase of lung development associated with alveolarization, maternal nicotine exposure resulted in a reduction in the copper content and thus conceivably in the activity of lysyl oxidase of the neonatal lung. Therefore the aims of this study were (a) to determine the effects of maternal nicotine exposure during gestation and lactation on neonatal lung development, and (b) to establish whether maternal copper supplementation during gestation and lactation prevented the effect of maternal nicotine exposure on neonatal lung development. Pregnant rats were randomly divided into four groups: the control group received saline; the second group received 1 mg nicotine (kg bodyweight)–1 day–1 subcutaneously; the third group received 1 mg copper (kg bodyweight)–1 day–1; and the fourth group received both nicotine and copper in the same quantities as the previous two groups. Lung tissue of 14- and 42-day-old rat pups were processed for light microscopy. Maternal nicotine exposure during gestation and lactation resulted in (a) decreased alveolar number, (b) reduced internal surface area and (c) increased alveolar volume. Copper supplementation during gestation and lactation prevented the adverse effects of maternal nicotine exposure during gestation and lactation on the development of the alveolar region of the rat lung.

THE INCORPORATION OF PALMITATE-1-14C BY RAT LUNG IN VITRO

1967 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 597-607 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Naimark ◽  
D. Klass
Keyword(s):  
Specific Activity ◽  
Specific Radioactivity ◽  
Phosphatidyl Inositol ◽  
Phosphatidyl Serine ◽  
Rat Lung ◽  
Exchange Reactions ◽  
Ethanolamine Phosphatidyl ◽  
Exogenous Glucose ◽  
Lipid Fractions

The incorporation of palmitate-1-14C into various lipid fractions was studied in rat lung in vitro. Most of the radioactivity was found in phospholipid, although in terms of decreasing specific activity the lipids were ranked: free fatty acid (FFA), glycerides, phospholipid. In addition to the usual glycerophosphatides, rat lung contained a substance with some of the chromatographic characteristics of phosphatidyl dimethylethanolamine. In terms of decreasing specific activities the phospholipids were ranked: phosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, phosphatidyl dimethylethanolamine, phosphatidyl serine plus phosphatidyl inositol, sphingomyelin plus lysophosphatidyl choline. Inhibition of oxidative energy production by hypoxia, cyanide, or low temperature markedly depressed the esterification of palmitate-1-14C. Less marked depression was observed in the absence of exogenous glucose. In all cases the decreased incorporation was associated with an increase in the total and specific radioactivity in tissue FFA. It is concluded that energy-independent exchange reactions are probably of little importance in the incorporation of FFA into esterified lipids of lung tissue. Under conditions of metabolic inhibition the penetration of labelled FFA into the tissue FFA pool does not appear to limit esterification.

Cytokines increase rat lung antioxidant enzymes during exposure to hyperoxia

1989 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 1003-1007 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. W. White ◽  
P. Ghezzi ◽  
S. McMahon ◽  
C. A. Dinarello ◽  
J. E. Repine
Keyword(s):  
Superoxide Dismutase ◽  
Antioxidant Enzymes ◽  
Antioxidant Enzyme ◽  
Enzyme Activities ◽  
Tumor Necrosis ◽  
Interleukin 1 ◽  
Antioxidant Enzyme Activities ◽  
Rat Lung ◽  
Glucose 6 Phosphate Dehydrogenase ◽  
Necrosis Factor

Pretreatment with the combination of tumor necrosis factor/cachectin (TNF/C) and interleukin 1 (IL-1) increased glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities in lungs of rats continuously exposed to hyperoxia for 72 h, a time when all untreated rats had already died. Pretreatment with TNF/C and IL-1 also increased, albeit slightly, lung G6PDH and GR activities of rats exposed to hyperoxia for 4 or 16 h. By comparison, no differences occurred in lung antioxidant enzyme activities of TNF/C and IL-1- or saline-pretreated rats exposed to hyperoxia for 36 or 52 h; the latter is a time just before untreated rats began to succumb during exposure to hyperoxia. The results raise the possibility that TNF/C and IL-1 treatment can increase lung antioxidant enzyme activities and that increased lung antioxidant enzymes may contribute to the increased survival of TNF/C and IL-1-pretreated rats in hyperoxia for greater than 72 h.

scholarly journals Rat lung lectin synthesis, degradation and activation. Developmental regulation and modulation by dexamethasone

1987 ◽  
Vol 245 (3) ◽  
pp. 683-690 ◽  
Author(s):  
L B Clerch ◽  
P L Whitney ◽  
D Massaro
Keyword(s):  
Binding Protein ◽  
Developmental Regulation ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Rat Lung ◽  
Absolute Rate ◽  
Lectin Activity ◽  
Developmentally Regulated ◽  
Rat Pups ◽  
The Absolute

Soluble lectins are widely distributed cell-agglutinating proteins. Their activity is developmentally regulated in several tissues, including the lung, but virtually nothing is known about the mechanisms of the developmental regulation or the turnover of these proteins. We studied mechanisms that might be responsible for the developmentally regulated changes in the activity of a lectin (beta-galactoside-binding protein) found in the lung, and determined if its activity or turnover could be modulated by treatment of rat pups with a glucocorticosteroid hormone (dexamethasone). Our studies on the activity and turnover of the lectin indicated that the peak of lectin activity (units/mg of protein) that occurred at age 12 days appeared to be brought about by two means: an increase in the activity of the lectin molecule itself (units/micrograms of lectin) that occurred at age 8 days, and 1.5-fold increase in the absolute rate of lectin synthesis at age 11 days. The decline in lectin activity was associated with a decrease in its rate of synthesis, return to the baseline extent of activation, and an increased rate of degradation. Treatment of rat pups with dexamethasone diminished the peak of lectin activity (units/mg of protein) by about 25%. This effect of dexamethasone was due, at least in part, to the complete prevention of activation of the lectin molecule (units/micrograms of lectin) and a premature increase in the rate of lectin degradation. Perhaps the normal fall in lectin activity after age 11 days is caused by mechanisms induced by the increase in serum corticosteroid that occurs at that age.

A novel epithelial cell from neonatal rat lung: isolation and differentiated phenotype

1990 ◽  
Vol 259 (6) ◽  
pp. L415-L425 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. E. Roberts ◽  
D. M. Phillips ◽  
J. P. Mather
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cell ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Basal Medium ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Cell Number ◽  
Neonatal Rat ◽  
Rat Lung ◽  
Cell Type

A novel epithelial cell from normal neonatal rat lung has been isolated, established, and maintained for multiple passages in the absence of serum, without undergoing crisis or senescence. By careful manipulation of the nutrition/hormonal microenvironment, we have been able to select, from a heterogeneous population, a single epithelial cell type that can maintain highly differentiated features in vitro. This cell type has characteristics of bronchiolar epithelial cells. A clonal line, RL-65, has been selected and observed for greater than 2 yr in continuous culture. It has been characterized by ultrastructural, morphological, and biochemical criteria. The basal medium for this cell line is Ham's F12/Dulbecco's modified Eagle's (DME) medium plus insulin (1 micrograms/ml), human transferrin (10 micrograms/ml), ethanolamine (10(-4) M), phosphoethanolamine (10(-4) M), selenium (2.5 x 10(-8) M), hydrocortisone (2.5 x 10(-7) M), and forskolin (5 microM). The addition of 150 micrograms/ml of bovine pituitary extract to the defined basal medium stimulates a greater than 10-fold increase in cell number and a 50- to 100-fold increase in thymidine incorporation. The addition of retinoic acid results in further enhancement of cell growth and complete inhibition of keratinization. We have demonstrated a strategy that may be applicable to isolating other cell types from the lung and maintaining their differentiated characteristics for long-term culture in vitro. Such a culture system promises to be a useful model in which to study cellular events associated with differentiation and proliferation in the lung and to better understand the molecular mechanisms involved in these events.

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