• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.397-405
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• 2005

Background : Laminin-1 is known to have regular functions in the development and course of differentiation of the lungs. The morphogenesis and distribution of laminin-1 still remains as a mystery and its distribution and changes in the molecular structure of laminin-1 in the pathogenesis of the lung still is a subject of great controversy. In this study, experiments were done to delineate the distribution and changes in the amount of laminin-1 after inducing inflammation of the lungs by exposing experimental animals to CS gas and especially, to find compositions of laminin-1 within type II pneumocytes. Materials and Methods : The experimental subjects of study were newborn rats and the extracted tissue from the experimental rats were viewed under light microscope and electron microscope after the sections were treated with immunohistochemical methods and immunogold reaction methods using bounded gold particles. Results : 1) Lymphocytes and mononuclear phagocytes invaded the alveolar septa in the 2 day group rats after CS gas exposure and intense interstitial inflammation was seen in the 3 day group. 2) Laminin immunoreactions decreased to a moderate degree in the 2 and 3 day group rats after CS gas exposure and strong laminin immunoreactions were seen again in the 5 and 7 day group rats. 3) Gold particles in basal lamina of the lung blood-air barrier decreased and in the type I pneumocytes decreased in the 2 and 3 day group rats after CS gas exposure. 4) Gold particles were seen only on the surface of the cell membranes of type II pneumocytes of the 1 and 2 day group rats after CS gas exposure. 5) Few gold particles around the lamellar bodies and cytoplasm of type II pneumocytes in the control rat group and at 12 hours after CS gas exposure. Gold particles are seen only on the surface of type II pneumocytes of the 1 and 2 day group rats after CS gas exposure and are evenly distributed in small amounts in the cells of the 3 day group after CS gas exposure. Conclusion : CS gas exposure in the rats caused inflammation of lung alveolar septa and also induced a decrease in laminin-1 in basal lamina and loss of laminin-1 in the cytoplasm of type II pneumonocytes. As the inflammatory cells disappeared, an increase in the distribution of laminin-1 occurred. This reflects tissue regeneration functions of laminin-1 in the pneumocytes of rats and the distribution of laminin-1 in type II pneumocytes can be seen through the electron microscope using immunogold methods.