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Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the maintenance of human and rat pulmonary type II cells in an organotypic culture system. The lungs of mammals and some inframammalian vertebrates contain a potent surface-active material that coats the alveolar surface, decreases the surface tension, and thus stabilizes the alveoli against collapse. The presence of this pulmonary surfactant is essential for normal pulmonary function, and its absence or diminution is an important etiological factor in respiratory distress syndrome. The mammalian pulmonary alveolus is lined with an endodermally derived epithelium consisting of two cell types: type I and type II pulmonary epithelial cells. The human fetal lung at 18–20 weeks of gestation contains epithelial tubules instead of pulmonary alveoli. The tubules are comprised of glycogen-rich epithelial cells containing very few lamellar bodies. The phospholipid composition of surfactant isolated from organotypic cultures is compared to that isolated from adult rat lung. Fatty acid analysis of surfactant phosphatidylcholine from organotypic cultures demonstrates that myristate, palmitate, and stearate are the major fatty acids present. |
