Mechanisms of extracellular hydrogen peroxide clearance by alveolar type II pneumocytes

This study quantified the ability of freshly isolated alveolar type II (ATII) pneumocytes to reduce extracellularly produced hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and identify the mechanisms involved. ATII cells were isolated to high purity (greater than 85%) from rabbit lungs by enzymatic digestion and Percoll centrifugation and suspended in Eagle's minimum essential medium (MEM). They were then coincubated with either 500 microM xanthine and 10 mU/ml xanthine oxidase (XO; pH 7.4; 25 degrees C) or 300 microM H2O2. The extracellular H2O2 concentration [H2O2] was measured in the following conditions over a 60-min period: 1) MEM alone, 2) untreated (control), 3) 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (ATZ)-treated, or 4) 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene-treated ATII cells. Addition of xanthine and XO to MEM alone resulted in a time-dependent increase in [H2O2], reaching a plateau value of approximately 300 microM after 45 min. In the presence of control ATII cells (1 x 10(6) cells/ml), [H2O2] remained at control levels. When coincubated with 300 microM H2O2, ATII cells cleared H2O2 at a higher rate than an equivalent amount of free catalase. Incubation with ATZ decreased ATII cell catalase activity by 89% and significantly impaired their ability to clear H2O2 (half-life = 18.1 +/- 2.7 vs. 1.3 +/- 0.1 min, P less than 0.01). ATZ-treated cells were more susceptible to oxidant injury, as shown by their decreased ability to exclude trypan blue after 60 min of H2O2 exposure. On the other hand, glutathione-depleted cells scavenged H2O2 at the same rate as controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)