title: [Epithelial sodium channel subunit mRNA expression in acutely isolated rat alveolar type II cells].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) subunit mRNA expression in acutely isolated rat alveolar type II (ATII) cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Acutely isolated ATII cells from 20 SD rats were purified and ENaC alpha, beta, gamma-subunit mRNA levels were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  mRNA expressions of all the subunits were detected in the ATII cells, and ENaC alpha-subunit mRNA showed significantly higher expression than beta- and gamma-subunit mRNAs, and the expressions of the latter two mRNAs were comparable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As the predominant ENaC subunit expressed at the mRNA level in rat ATII cells, the alpha-subunit of ENAC plays an important role in alveolar fluid clearance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. zhouwangmei01@163.com
authors.forename: Wang-mei
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Tao-ping
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: You
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D053503:Epithelial Sodium Channels / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D053503:Epithelial Sodium Channels; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C440894:Scnn1a protein, rat