title: Human alveolar epithelial type II cells in primary culture.
abstract: Alveolar epithelial type II (AEII) cells are a key structure and defender in the lung but also are the targets in many lung diseases, including acute respiratory distress syndrome, ventilator-induced lung injury, and pulmonary fibrosis. We sought to establish an optimized method for high yielding and long maintenance of characteristics of primary human AEII cells to facilitate the investigation of the mechanisms of lung diseases at the cellular and molecular levels. Adult human peripheral normal lung tissues of oncologic patients undergoing lung resection were collected. The AEII cells were isolated and identified by the expression of pro-surfactant protein (SP)C, epithelial sodium channel (αENaC) and cytokeratin (CK)-8, the lamellar bodies specific for AEII cells, and confirmed by the histology using electron microscopy. The phenotype of AEII cells was characterized by the expression of surfactant proteins (SP-A, SP-B, SP-C, SP-D), CK-8, KL-6, αENaC, and aquaporin (AQP)-3, which was maintained over 20 days. The biological activity of the primary human AEII cells producing SP-C, cytokines, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 was vigorous in response to stimulation with tumor necrosis factor-α. We have modified previous methods and optimized a method for isolation of high purity and long maintenance of the human AEII cell phenotype in primary culture. This method provides an important tool for studies aiming at elucidating the molecular mechanisms of lung diseases exclusively in AEII cells.
authors: State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases and Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Diseases, GuangzhouGuangdong, China The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, GuangzhouGuangdong, China.
authors: Pu
authors: P
authors: Mao
authors: State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases and Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Diseases, GuangzhouGuangdong, China The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, GuangzhouGuangdong, China.
authors: Songling
authors: S
authors: Wu
authors: State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases and Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Diseases, GuangzhouGuangdong, China The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, GuangzhouGuangdong, China.
authors: Jianchun
authors: J
authors: Li
authors: State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases and Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Diseases, GuangzhouGuangdong, China The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, GuangzhouGuangdong, China.
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Fu
authors: State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases and Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Diseases, GuangzhouGuangdong, China The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, GuangzhouGuangdong, China.
authors: Weiqun
authors: W
authors: He
authors: State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases and Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Diseases, GuangzhouGuangdong, China The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, GuangzhouGuangdong, China.
authors: Xiaoqing
authors: X
authors: Liu
authors: State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases and Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Diseases, GuangzhouGuangdong, China The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, GuangzhouGuangdong, China Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Arthur S
authors: AS
authors: Slutsky
authors: State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases and Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Diseases, GuangzhouGuangdong, China The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, GuangzhouGuangdong, China Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Department of Anesthesia, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Haibo
authors: H
authors: Zhang
authors: State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases and Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Diseases, GuangzhouGuangdong, China The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, GuangzhouGuangdong, China.
authors: Yimin
authors: Y
authors: Li
keywords: Human lung; lamellar bodies; surfactant proteins