Protein transport across the lung epithelial barrier

2003 ◽  
Vol 284 (2) ◽  
pp. L247-L259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kwang-Jin Kim ◽  
Asrar B. Malik

Alveolar lining fluid normally contains proteins of important physiological, antioxidant, and mucosal defense functions [such as albumin, immunoglobulin G (IgG), secretory IgA, transferrin, and ceruloplasmin]. Because concentrations of plasma proteins in alveolar fluid can increase in injured lungs (such as with permeability edema and inflammation), understanding how alveolar epithelium handles protein transport is needed to develop therapeutic measures to restore alveolar homeostasis. This review provides an update on recent findings on protein transport across the alveolar epithelial barrier. The use of primary cultured rat alveolar epithelial cell monolayers (that exhibit phenotypic and morphological traits of in vivo alveolar epithelial type I cells) has shown that albumin and IgG are absorbed via saturable processes at rates greater than those predicted by passive diffusional mechanisms. In contrast, secretory component, the extracellular portion of the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor, is secreted into alveolar fluid. Transcytosis involving caveolae and clathrin-coated pits is likely the main route of alveolar epithelial protein transport, although relative contributions of these internalization steps to overall protein handling of alveolar epithelium remain to be determined. The specific pathways and regulatory mechanisms responsible for translocation of proteins across lung alveolar epithelium and regulation of the cognate receptors (e.g., 60-kDa albumin binding protein and IgG binding FcRn) expressed in alveolar epithelium need to be elucidated.

1994 ◽  
Vol 266 (5) ◽  
pp. L544-L552 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. H. Hastings ◽  
J. R. Wright ◽  
K. H. Albertine ◽  
R. Ciriales ◽  
M. A. Matthay

Protein in the alveolar space may be cleared by endocytosis and degradation inside alveolar epithelial cells, by transcytosis across the alveolar epithelium, or by restricted diffusion through the epithelium. The relative contributions of these three pathways to clearance of large quantities of protein from the air spaces is not known. This study investigated the effects of monensin and nocodazole, agents which inhibit endocytosis in cell culture, on alveolar epithelial protein transport in anesthetized rabbits. There was evidence that monensin and nocodazole inhibited endocytosis by the alveolar epithelium in vivo. Nocodazole increased the number of vesicles in the alveolar epithelium and capillary endothelium. Monensin increased vesicle density in the endothelium. These results suggested that the inhibitors disrupted microtubules or interrupted cellular membrane traffic in the lung. Both inhibitors decreased lung parenchymal uptake of immunoreactive human albumin from the air spaces. Monensin and nocodazole inhibited albumin uptake in cultured alveolar type II cells. Monensin increased the amount of 125I-labeled surfactant protein A associated with the lungs, compared with the quantity remaining in the air space 2 h after instillation. Although the drugs decreased alveolar epithelial protein uptake, they did not decrease alveolar clearance of 125I-labeled immunoglobulin G or 131I-labeled albumin in anesthetized rabbits. Thus monensin- and nocodazole-sensitive protein-uptake pathways do not account for most alveolar protein clearance when the distal air spaces are filled with a protein solution.


2004 ◽  
Vol 286 (4) ◽  
pp. L679-L689 ◽  
Author(s):  
Randolph H. Hastings ◽  
Hans G. Folkesson ◽  
Michael A. Matthay

Transport of protein across the alveolar epithelial barrier is a critical process in recovery from pulmonary edema and is also important in maintaining the alveolar milieu in the normal healthy lung. Various mechanisms have been proposed for clearing alveolar protein, including transport by the mucociliary escalator, intra-alveolar degradation, or phagocytosis by macrophages. However, the most likely processes are endocytosis across the alveolar epithelium, known as transcytosis, or paracellular diffusion through the epithelial barrier. This article focuses on protein transport studies that evaluate these two potential mechanisms in whole lung or animal preparations. When protein concentrations in the air spaces are low, e.g., albumin concentrations <0.5 g/100 ml, protein transport demonstrates saturation kinetics, temperature dependence indicating high energy requirements, and sensitivity to pharmacological agents that affect endocytosis. At higher concentrations, the protein clearance rate is proportional to protein concentration without signs of saturation, inversely related to protein size, and insensitive to endocytosis inhibition. Temperature dependence suggests a passive process. Based on these findings, alveolar albumin clearance occurs by receptor-mediated transcytosis at low protein concentrations but proceeds by passive paracellular mechanisms at higher concentrations. Because protein concentrations in pulmonary edema fluid are high, albumin concentrations of 5 g/100 ml or more, clearance of alveolar protein occurs by paracellular pathways in the setting of pulmonary edema. Transcytosis may be important in regulating the alveolar milieu under nonpathological circumstances. Alveolar degradation may become important in long-term protein clearance, clearance of insoluble proteins, or under pathological conditions such as immune reactions or acute lung injury.


2004 ◽  
Vol 286 (1) ◽  
pp. L106-L111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andres Pelaez ◽  
Rabih I. Bechara ◽  
Pratibha C. Joshi ◽  
Lou Ann S. Brown ◽  
David M. Guidot

Chronic alcohol abuse increases the risk of developing acute lung injury approximately threefold in septic patients, and ethanol ingestion for 6 wk in rats impairs alveolar epithelial barrier function both in vitro and in vivo. Granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a trophic factor for the alveolar epithelium, and a recent phase II clinical study suggests that GM-CSF therapy decreases sepsis-mediated lung injury. Therefore, we hypothesized that GM-CSF treatment could improve ethanol-mediated defects in the alveolar epithelium during acute stresses such as endotoxemia. In this study, we determined that recombinant rat GM-CSF improved lung liquid clearance (as reflected by lung tissue wet:dry ratios) in ethanol-fed rats anesthetized and then challenged with 2 ml of saline via a tracheostomy tube. Furthermore, GM-CSF treatment improved lung liquid clearance and decreased epithelial protein leak in both control-fed and ethanol-fed rats after 6 h of endotoxemia induced by Salmonella typhimurium lipopolysaccharide given intraperitoneally, but with the greater net effect seen in the ethanol-fed rats. Our previous studies indicate that chronic ethanol ingestion decreases lung liquid clearance by increasing intercellular permeability. Consistent with this, GM-CSF treatment in vitro decreased permeability of alveolar epithelial monolayers derived from both control-fed and ethanol-fed rats. As in the endotoxemia model in vivo, the effect of GM-CSF was most dramatic in the ethanol group. Together, these results indicate that GM-CSF treatment has previously unrecognized effects in promoting alveolar epithelial barrier integrity and that these salutary effects may be particularly relevant in the setting of chronic alcohol abuse.


Membranes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 331
Author(s):  
Yong Ho Kim ◽  
Kwang-Jin Kim ◽  
David Z. D’Argenio ◽  
Edward D. Crandall

Primary rat alveolar epithelial cell monolayers (RAECM) were grown without (type I cell-like phenotype, RAECM-I) or with (type II cell-like phenotype, RAECM-II) keratinocyte growth factor to assess passive transport of 11 hydrophilic solutes. We estimated apparent permeability (Papp) in the absence/presence of calcium chelator EGTA to determine the effects of perturbing tight junctions on “equivalent” pores. Papp across RAECM-I and -II in the absence of EGTA are similar and decrease as solute size increases. We modeled Papp of the hydrophilic solutes across RAECM-I/-II as taking place via heterogeneous populations of equivalent pores comprised of small (0.41/0.32 nm radius) and large (9.88/11.56 nm radius) pores, respectively. Total equivalent pore area is dominated by small equivalent pores (99.92–99.97%). The number of small and large equivalent pores in RAECM-I was 8.55 and 1.29 times greater, respectively, than those in RAECM-II. With EGTA, the large pore radius in RAECM-I/-II increased by 1.58/4.34 times and the small equivalent pore radius increased by 1.84/1.90 times, respectively. These results indicate that passive diffusion of hydrophilic solutes across an alveolar epithelium occurs via small and large equivalent pores, reflecting interactions of transmembrane proteins expressed in intercellular tight junctions of alveolar epithelial cells.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haifeng C. Xu ◽  
Ruifeng Wang ◽  
Prashant V. Shinde ◽  
Lara Walotka ◽  
Anfei Huang ◽  
...  

AbstractImmune evasion of pathogens can modify the course of infection and impact viral persistence and pathology. Here, using different strains of the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) model system, we show that slower propagation results in limited type I interferon (IFN-I) production and viral persistence. Specifically, cells infected with LCMV-Docile exhibited reduced viral replication when compared to LCMV-WE and as a consequence, infection with LCMV-Docile resulted in reduced activation of bone marrow derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) and IFN-I production in vitro in comparison with LCMV-WE. In vivo, we observed a reduction of IFN-I, T cell exhaustion and viral persistence following infection of LCMV-Docile but not LCMV-WE. Mechanistically, block of intracellular protein transport uncovered reduced propagation of LCMV-Docile when compared to LCMV-WE. This reduced propagation was critical in blunting the activation of the innate and adaptive immune system. When mice were simultaneously infected with LCMV-Docile and LCMV-WE, immune function was restored and IFN-I production, T cell effector functions as well as viral loads were similar to that of mice infected with LCMV-WE alone. Taken together, this study suggests that reduced viral propagation can result in immune evasion and viral persistence.


2014 ◽  
Vol 307 (6) ◽  
pp. L449-L459 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seong Chul Kim ◽  
Thomas Kellett ◽  
Shaohua Wang ◽  
Miyuki Nishi ◽  
Nagaraja Nagre ◽  
...  

The molecular mechanisms for lung cell repair are largely unknown. Previous studies identified tripartite motif protein 72 (TRIM72) from striated muscle and linked its function to tissue repair. In this study, we characterized TRIM72 expression in lung tissues and investigated the role of TRIM72 in repair of alveolar epithelial cells. In vivo injury of lung cells was introduced by high tidal volume ventilation, and repair-defective cells were labeled with postinjury administration of propidium iodide. Primary alveolar epithelial cells were isolated and membrane wounding and repair were labeled separately. Our results show that absence of TRIM72 increases susceptibility to deformation-induced lung injury whereas TRIM72 overexpression is protective. In vitro cell wounding assay revealed that TRIM72 protects alveolar epithelial cells through promoting repair rather than increasing resistance to injury. The repair function of TRIM72 in lung cells is further linked to caveolin 1. These data suggest an essential role for TRIM72 in repair of alveolar epithelial cells under plasma membrane stress failure.


2004 ◽  
Vol 121 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roland Koslowski ◽  
Kathrin Barth ◽  
Antje Augstein ◽  
Thomas Tschernig ◽  
Gerhard Bargsten ◽  
...  

1999 ◽  
Vol 112 (2) ◽  
pp. 243-252
Author(s):  
E. Planus ◽  
S. Galiacy ◽  
M. Matthay ◽  
V. Laurent ◽  
J. Gavrilovic ◽  
...  

Type II pneumocytes are essential for repair of the injured alveolar epithelium. The effect of two MMP collagenases, MMP-1 and MMP-13 on alveolar epithelial repair was studied in vitro. The A549 alveolar epithelial cell line and primary rat alveolar epithelial cell cultures were used. Cell adhesion and cell migration were measured with and without exogenous MMP-1. Wound healing of a cell monolayer of rat alveolar epithelial cell after a mechanical injury was evaluated by time lapse video analysis. Cell adhesion on type I collagen, as well as cytoskeleton stiffness, was decreased in the presence of exogenous collagenases. A similar decrease was observed when cell adhesion was tested on collagen that was first incubated with MMP-1 (versus control on intact collagen). Cell migration on type I collagen was promoted by collagenases. Wound healing of an alveolar epithelial cell monolayer was enhanced in the presence of exogenous collagenases. Our results suggest that collagenases could modulate the repair process by decreasing cell adhesion and cell stiffness, and by increasing cell migration on type I collagen. Collagen degradation could modify cell adhesion sites and collagen degradation peptides could induce alveolar type II pneumocyte migration. New insights regarding alveolar epithelial cell migration are particularly relevant to investigate early events during alveolar epithelial repair following lung injury.


1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 1354-1359 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. K. Merchant ◽  
M. W. Peterson ◽  
G. W. Hunninghake

Alveolar epithelial cell injury and increased alveolar-capillary membrane permeability are important features of acute silicosis. To determine whether silica particles contribute directly to this increased permeability, we measured paracellular permeability of rat alveolar epithelium after exposure to silica, in vitro, using markers of the extracellular space. Silica (Minusil) markedly increased permeability in a dose- and time-dependent manner. This was not the result of cytolytic injury, because lactate dehydrogenase release from monolayers exposed to silica was not increased. Pretreatment of the silica with serum, charged dextrans, or aluminum sulfate blocked the increase in permeability. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated adherence of the silica to the surface of the alveolar epithelial cells. Thus silica can directly increase permeability of alveolar epithelium.


1997 ◽  
Vol 272 (6) ◽  
pp. L1031-L1045 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. D. Uhal

The type II alveolar epithelial cell has important metabolic and biosynthetic functions but also serves as the stem cell of the alveolar epithelium. Much of the evidence underlying this premise was obtained before 1980 and provided the basis for a working model that has not been reconsidered for more than fifteen years. With the exceptions to be discussed below, little evidence has accumulated in the interim to suggest that the model requires significant alteration. Important questions remain unanswered, however, and some components of the model need to be supplemented, particularly in light of recent investigations that have provided insights not possible in earlier work. In particular, in vitro studies have suggested that the relationship between the parent type II cell and its progeny may not be as straightforward as originally thought. In addition, the rate of epithelial cell loss was recognized long ago to be an important factor in the regulation of this system, but its kinetics and mechanisms have received little attention. These and other unresolved issues are critical to our understanding of the homeostasis of the alveolar epithelium under normal and pathological conditions.


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