Endothelial superoxide production in buffer perfused rat lungs, demonstrated by a new histochemical technique

This paper describes a new approach to the histochemical demonstration of superoxide generation by pulmonary vascular endothelial cells using a supravital high manganese/diamine technique, in which nascent superoxide radicals induce formation of amber, osmiophilic polymers of diaminobenzidine (DAB), detectable by light or electron microscopy. Superoxide oxidizes Mn2+ ions to the Mn3+ valence state. In turn trivalent manganese readily initiates formation of the polymerized DAB reaction product. Isolated rat lungs were perfused in situ with bloodless, buffered high manganese/DAB salt solution via the pulmonary artery. The aortic root was ligated to minimize outflow from the left heart, so that perfusate shunted across pulmonary capillary endothelium, to fill the alveolar spaces and drain via the trachea. Lungs were perfused for 3 min with oxygen equilibrated buffer, with or without 60 min prior warm anoxia, induced by initial perfusion with argon sparged buffer. After aldehyde fixation and tissue processing DAB reaction product was detected on the inner, luminal surface of the vascular endothelium by both light and electron microscopy. Bronchi and epithelial cells never stained positively. The histochemical reaction was absent or markedly reduced in non-manganese treated or superoxide dismutase treated lungs, as well as in lungs perfused with calcium free buffer. The histochemical reaction was not prevented by the xanthine oxidase inhibitors allopurinol or methylene blue. The high manganese/diamine technique provides direct visual evidence of a calcium dependent mechanism by which pulmonary vascular endothelial cells can generate superoxide radicals.