title: Visualization of phosphatidylcholine (16:0/16:0) in type II alveolar epithelial cells in the human lung using imaging mass spectrometry.
abstract: Imaging mass spectrometry (MS) is an emerging technique that can detect numerous biomolecular distributions in a non-targeting manner. In the present study, we applied a mass imaging modality, mass microscopy, to human lung tissue and identified several molecules including surfactant constituents in a specific structure of the lung alveoli. Four peaks were identified using imaging MS, and the ion at m/z 772.5, in particular, was localized at some spots in the alveolar walls. Using an MS/MS analysis, the ion was identified as phosphatidylcholine (PC)(16:0/16:0), which is the main component of lung surfactant. In a larger magnification of the lung specimen, PC (16:0/16:0) was distributed in a mottled fashion in a section of the lung. Importantly, the distribution of PC (16:0/16:0) was identical to that of anti-SLC34A2 antibody immunoreactivity, which is known to be a specific marker of type II alveolar epithelial cells, in the same section. Our experience suggests that imaging MS has excellent potential in human pathology research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Tumor Pathology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kurabe
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hayasaka
authors.forename: Hisaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Igarashi
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Keigo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sekihara
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Hidetaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Tomoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kahyo
authors.forename: Ippei
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Onishi
authors.forename: Hiroe
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsukui
authors.forename: Akikazu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kawase
authors.forename: Shun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsuura
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shinmura
authors.forename: Kazuhito
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Funai
authors.forename: Mitsutoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Setou
authors.forename: Haruhiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sugimura
mesh_terms: D056809:Alveolar Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000378:metabolism*; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000737:chemistry; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants