title: A new rat type I-like alveolar epithelial cell line R3/1: bleomycin effects on caveolin expression.
abstract: The study of function and regulation of the phenotype of alveolar type I (AT I) epithelial cells is limited by the rareness of suitable cell lines or primary cultures of this cell type. We describe in the present study the type I-like rat epithelial cell line R3/1. This cell line displays in vitro a phenotype with several characteristic features of AT I cells. R3/1 cells were analysed for mRNA and protein content of markers related to the AT I cell type (T1alpha, ICAM-1, connexin-43, caveolins-1 and -2) and AT II phenotypes [surfactant proteins (SPs) A, B, C and D]. The mRNAs for SPs were found to be at a low level. Moderate protein levels for SP-A and SP-B were found, and SP-C and SP-D proteins were not detectable. R3/1 cells are positive for CD44s, E-cadherin, cytokeratin, vimentin and RAGE, and bind the lectins BPA and SBA. For demonstration of the suitability of R3/1 cells for in vitro studies on epithelial injury, the cells were treated with bleomycin. As shown by real-time RT-PCR and immunoblotting, bleomycin-treatment of R3/1 cells resulted in a decrease in mRNA and protein for both caveolin-1 and caveolin-2 in comparison with controls. The AT I-like cell line R3/1 may serve as a promising tool for the study of lung cell biology.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Fiedlerstrasse 42, 01307 Dresden, Germany. koslowsk@rcs.urz.tu-dresden.de
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Koslowski
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Barth
authors.forename: Antje
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Augstein
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tschernig
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bargsten
authors.forename: Michaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aufderheide
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kasper
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000633:toxicity*; D051242:Caveolin 1; D051243:Caveolin 2; D022461:Caveolins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D002460:Cell Line / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: C495537:Cav1 protein, rat; D051242:Caveolin 1; D051243:Caveolin 2; D022461:Caveolins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D001761:Bleomycin