Faculty Collaboration Database

Arachidonate metabolism increases as rat alveolar type II cells differentiate in vitro. Am J Physiol 1990 Aug;259(2 Pt 1):L73-80

Date

08/01/1990

Pubmed ID

1696434

DOI

10.1152/ajplung.1990.259.2.L73

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0024987655 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   19 Citations

Abstract

Rat type II alveolar epithelial cells are known to undergo morphological and functional changes when maintained in culture for several days. Having previously demonstrated that these cells can deacylate free arachidonic acid (AA) and metabolize it to products of the cyclooxygenase pathway, the present study was undertaken to determine whether in vitro differentiation was accompanied by alterations in the availability and metabolism of AA. We assessed the constitutive and ionophore A23187-induced deacylation and metabolism of endogenous AA, as well as the metabolism of exogenously supplied AA, in primary cultures of rat type II cells at days 2, 4, and 7 after isolation. Levels of free endogenous AA were increased at day 4, whereas eicosanoid synthesis, predominantly prostaglandin E2 and prostacyclin, increased markedly only at day 7. A similar time course of augmentation of prostanoid release was seen in response to exogenous AA. Type II cells cultured on fibronectin, intended to hasten cell flattening and spreading, demonstrated accelerated increases in available free AA in response to A23187; cells cultured on basement membrane derived from Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm mouse sarcoma, known to maintain the type II phenotype, exhibited diminished levels of available free AA. From these findings, we conclude that alterations in arachidonate metabolism are linked to alterations in cellular phenotype. The potentiation of eicosanoid synthesis accompanying in vitro differentiation suggests a possible role for the alveolar epithelium in the modulation of inflammation and fibrosis in the distal lung.

Author List

Lipchik RJ, Chauncey JB, Paine R, Simon RH, Peters-Golden M

Author

Randolph J. Lipchik MD Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Animals
Arachidonic Acids
Calcimycin
Carbon Radioisotopes
Cell Differentiation
Cells, Cultured
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
Epithelial Cells
Epithelium
Fluorescent Antibody Technique
Intermediate Filament Proteins
Keratins
Kinetics
Male
Prostaglandins
Pulmonary Alveoli
Radioisotope Dilution Technique
Rats
Rats, Inbred Strains