Arachidonate metabolism increases as rat alveolar type II cells differentiate in vitro

Journal Article · Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · American Journal of Physiology; (USA)

OSTI ID:6529866

Lipchik, R J; Chauncey, J B; Paine, R; Simon, R H; Peters-Golden, M ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor (USA)

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.

• OSTI ID: 6529866
• Journal Information: American Journal of Physiology; (USA), Vol. 259:2 Pt 1; ISSN 0002-9513
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ANIMAL CELLS
CELL DIFFERENTIATION
ARACHIDONIC ACID
METABOLISM
EICOSANOIC ACID
BIOSYNTHESIS
LUNGS
FIBROSIS
CARBON ISOTOPES
CELL CULTURES
EPITHELIUM
FLUORESCENCE
ISOTOPE DILUTION
LIQUID COLUMN CHROMATOGRAPHY
MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES
PHENOTYPE
PROSTAGLANDINS
RATS
ANIMAL TISSUES
ANIMALS
BODY
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
LUMINESCENCE
MAMMALS
MONOCARBOXYLIC ACIDS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RODENTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SYNTHESIS
TISSUES
TRACER TECHNIQUES
VERTEBRATES
550501* - Metabolism- Tracer Techniques
550901 - Pathology- Tracer Techniques