PMID: 9527019Apr 4, 1998Paper

Ultrastructural studies on selected elements of the extracellular matrix in the developing rat lung alveolus

Folia Histochemica Et Cytobiologica
M WasowiczI Nakayama

Abstract

As the respiratory system adapts to the extrauterine life, the extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an important structural and regulatory role during its development. Therefore the purpose of this investigation was to analyze ultrastructurally several elements of extracellular connective tissue during the process of rat lung development. Morphological observations were mainly focused on the terminal part of respiratory system. To outline different components of connective tissue network, several ultrastructural techniques were used (both histochemical and immunohistochemical). The distribution and amount of the following proteins were studied: laminin, collagen type IV, collagen fibrils (CFs), elastic fibers (EFs) and fibronectin (FN). Additionally localization of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) was examined. The present study deals with four periods of lung development: pseudoglandular, canalicular, saccular and alveolar. In all these stages localization and amount of ECM components change rapidly. In early periods of lung development, the amount of connective tissue fibers was low, basement membranes (BMs) were incomplete, and FN was distributed nearly uniformly. Later when the process of lung alveoli formation begins, the number and ...Continue Reading

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Basement Membranes

Basement membranes are thin, specialized extracellular matrices surrounding most tissues in all metazoans. Here is the latest research on basement membranes.