Autoradiographic localization of specific (/sup 3/H)dexamethasone binding in fetal lung

Journal Article · Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1984 · Dev. Biol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-1606(84)90292-6· OSTI ID:5765464

Beer, D G; Butley, M S; Cunha, G R; Malkinson, A M

The cellular and subcellular localization of specific (/sup 3/H)dexamethasone binding was examined in fetal mouse lung at various stages of development and in human fetal lung at 8 weeks of gestation using a rapid in vitro steroid incubation technique followed by thaw-mount autoradiography. Competition studies with unlabeled steroids demonstrate the specificity of (/sup 3/H)dexamethasone labeling, and indicate that fetal lung mesenchyme is a primary glucocorticoid target during lung development. Autoradiographs of (/sup 3/H)dexamethasone binding in lung tissue at early stages of development demonstrate that the mesenchyme directly adjacent to the more proximal portions of the bronchiolar network is heavily labeled. In contrast, the epithelium which will later differentiate into bronchi and bronchioles, is relatively unlabeled. Distal portions of the growing epithelium, destined to become alveolar ducts and alveoli, do show nuclear localization of (/sup 3/H)dexamethasone. In addition, by utilizing a technique which allows the simultaneous examination of extracellular matrix components and (/sup 3/H)dexamethasone binding, a relationship is observed between extensive mesenchymal (/sup 3/H)dexamethasone binding and extensive extracellular matrix accumulation. Since glucocorticoids stimulate the synthesis of many extracellular matrix components, these results suggest a role for these hormones in affecting mesenchymal-epithelial interactions during lung morphogenesis.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Colorado, Boulder
• OSTI ID: 5765464
• Journal Information: Dev. Biol.; (United States), Vol. 105:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
DEXAMETHASONE
AUTORADIOGRAPHY
LUNGS
ONTOGENESIS
RECEPTORS
BIOLOGICAL LOCALIZATION
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
EPITHELIUM
FETUSES
GLUCOCORTICOIDS
MICE
MORPHOLOGY
ADRENAL HORMONES
ANIMAL TISSUES
ANIMALS
BODY
CORTICOSTEROIDS
HORMONES
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
KETONES
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MAMMALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PREGNANES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RODENTS
STEROID HORMONES
STEROIDS
TISSUES
VERTEBRATES
550601* - Medicine- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
550801 - Morphology- Tracer Techniques