Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and other enzymatic activity in normal mouse lung and in lung tumors

The histogenesis of chemically induced mouse lung adenomas is currently being debated. Tumors induced by a variety of chemicals and in a number of different strains exhibit growth patterns having a solid/alveolar appearance, a papillary appearance, or a mixture of both. Ultrastructural observations suggest that solid tumors are derived from the alveolar type II pneumocyte and that papillary tumors arise from the bronchiolar Clara cell. However, recent immunocytochemical investigations have concluded that most mouse lung tumors are derived solely from the alveolar type II cell. Enzyme histochemical methods have previously been utilized to identify Clara cells in pulmonary cell isolates and also to characterize mouse lung tumors. This report demonstrates a difference in glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PD) activity in type II pneumocytes and Clara cells. Solid tumors and type II cells appear to have a similar G3PD activity, and this activity is different from that observed in papillary tumors and bronchiolar cells. These findings support morphological evidence that suggests mouse lung tumors are phenotypically different and may arise from at least two different cells of origin.