title: Alveolar epithelial cells in experimental lung emphysema. Analysis of methods for type II pneumocyte identification among cells isolated from the respiratory tract of rats.
abstract: Total and differential counts of cells isolated from the lungs of Wistar rats with experimental emphysema were performed. Emphysema was induced by a single intratracheal dose of papain solution (20 mg/kg b.w.). Rats were sacrificed 1, 7, 14 and 28 days later. Cells were isolated from the lungs through multiple bronchoalveolar lavage. An attempt to identify type II pneumocytes was undertaken. Our observations suggest that none of the methods applied for identification of type II pneumocytes are completely specific. At the same time they stain type II cells and subpopulations of alveolar macrophages heavily loaded with phagocytized surfactant elements. However those methods are simple and enable an approximate evaluation of damage and regeneration processes in the extracellular alveolar lining layer and epithelium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathological Anatomy, Medical Academy, Bialystok, Poland.
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Sulkowski
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Nowak
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Chyczewski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D008297:Male; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000473:pathology*; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar