The postnatal growth of the rat lung II. Autoradiography

Abstract

Combined morphometric and autoradiographic methods were used to analyze the postnatal growth of rat lung from 1–21 days after birth. Each cell population had distinct growth patterns with an increase in the number of fibroblasts and capillary endothelial cells largely determining the increase in interstitial volume and capillary surface, respectively. The height of proliferation activity in mesodermally‐derived cells was concurrent with the outgrowth of secondary alveolar septa (between days 4 and 13). Analysis of the location of labeled cells on day 7 showed that the higher labeling index on septal crests could be ascribed to the proliferative activity of fibroblasts and endothelial cells. Within the alveolar epithelium only the type II alveolar cells had a detectable labeling index. Over the first week, the number of type I epithelial cells steadily increased while the number of type II cells remained constant. Subsequently the number of type II cells increased rapidly, reached a peak on day 13 and then decreased, whereas type I cells continued to increase in number. These facts led us to consider that type II epithelial cells may represent the stem cell population of alveolar epithelium. The height of proliferative activity of type II cells on day 7 coincided with the outgrowth of septal crests and was followed by the steepest increase in number of type I and II cells. Between the 10th and 21st day labeling indices rapidly declined, cell production became undetectable after day 13. Increase in alveolar and capillary surface area however continued, resulting in a thinning of the interstitial layer and of the epithelial and endothelial sheets.