title: Changes in cell number and lung morphology during early postpneumonectomy lung growth.
abstract: We studied early postpneumonectomy lung growth in adult rats with the aim of determining which lung cells and tissues were involved and what the magnitude of the changes was. Ultrastructural stereological-morphometric measurements were performed 7 days after left pneumonectomy; lung weight, DNA, and protein were also measured. Relative to sham controls, the number of type 2 epithelial cells per right lung increased 34% and the number of capillary endothelial cells increased 28%. The total type 1 epithelial cell volume and surface area both increased 26%, and the total volume and luminal surface area of the capillary endothelial cells increased 24 and 22%, respectively. The number of interstitial cells did not change significantly. The total number of lung cells in the alveolar region was increased 22%; this correlated with a 26% increase in right lung DNA content. We conclude that the main changes during early postpneumonectomy lung growth are increases in the number of type 2 epithelial cells and capillary endothelial cells and in the total capillary and alveolar epithelial surface area.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002196:Capillaries / Q000166:cytology; D002452:Cell Count; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D008168:Lung / Q000032:analysis / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development; D008297:Male; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000166:cytology; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D004247:DNA