Increased activity of protein kinase C in alveolar macrophages in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the changes on protein kinase C (PKC) activity of alveolar macrophages (AMs) in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).


METHODS
The PKC activity of AM in 9 healthy volunteers and 15 patients with IPF was investigated by measuring the radioactivity.


RESULTS
The total, cytosolic and membrane PKC activity of AM in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from patients with IPF were higher than those from control group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05 and P < 0.05, respectively). The total and the membrane-associated PKC activity had a positive correlation with the number of cells in BALF (r = 0.8135, P < 0.01 and r = 0.5917, P < 0.05), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
As a bypass of transmembrane signal transduction, PKC was suggested to be involved in the origination and development of IPF.
Liu
L
L
Institute of Respiratory Disease, First Hospital Affiliated China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China.
Li
Z
Z
Yu
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000378:metabolism*; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000201:enzymology*
D011493:Protein Kinase C