title: Calcium mobilization and exocytosis after one mechanical stretch of lung epithelial cells.
abstract: Deep inflation of the lung stimulates surfactant secretion by unknown mechanisms. The hypothesis that mechanical distension directly stimulates type II cells to secrete surfactant was tested by stretching type II cells cultured on silastic membranes. The intracellular Ca2+ concentration was measured in single cells, before and after stretching. A single stretch of alveolar type II cells caused a transient (less than 60 seconds) increase in cytosolic Ca2+ followed by a sustained (15 to 30 minutes) stimulation of surfactant secretion. Both Ca2+ mobilization and exocytosis exhibited dose-dependence to the magnitude of the stretch-stimulus. Thus, mechanical factors can trigger complex cellular events in nonneuron, nonmuscle cells and may be involved in regulating normal lung functions.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0130.
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Wirtz
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Dobbs
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D004848:Epithelium / Q000502:physiology; D005089:Exocytosis; D007700:Kinetics; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000378:metabolism; D011510:Proteolipids / Q000494:pharmacology; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000502:physiology*; D037661:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D013499:Surface Properties; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D011510:Proteolipids; D037661:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate; D002118:Calcium