title: Maintenance of differentiated phenotype by mouse type 2 pneumocytes in serum-free primary culture.
abstract: An improved method has been developed for separation of an enriched population of mouse type 2 pneumocytes, based on differential adherence and size fractionation of cells dissociated with trypsin. These cells were successfully maintained in primary culture in serum-free medium MCDB 201 supplemented with albumin, transferrin, and lipids. Whereas type 2 pneumocytes in serum-supplemented culture undergo phenotypic transformation into adherent flattened cells that resemble type 1 pneumocytes, this did not occur in serum-free culture. Both the morphology of the type 2 pneumocytes and their expression of surfactant protein A were maintained for at least 6 days in vitro. However, rapid loss of differentiated characteristics was induced by exposure of the cells to normal mouse serum. This was accompanied by a striking decrease in spontaneous DNA synthesis as assessed by incorporation of tritiated thymidine. When cultured in serum-free medium, the behavior of the type 2 pneumocytes on various extracellular matrix components was different from that reported for serum-supplemented culture. Serum-free culture of type 2 pneumocytes may offer significant advantages for evaluation of the secretory activities of these cells in vitro.
authors.affiliation: School of Pathology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: O'Grady
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media; D003584:Cytological Techniques; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005109:Extracellular Matrix; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010641:Phenotype; D011510:Proteolipids / Q000378:metabolism; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D037661:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D011510:Proteolipids; D037661:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants; D004247:DNA