Phospholipid synthesis in fetal lung organotypic cultures and isolated type II pneumocytes

Type II pneumocytes from fetal rabbit lungs were grown in an organotypic system and used to study surfactant phospholipid synthesis. This organotypic system was further employed as a means for isolating purified type II cells which were grown in monolayer cultures. Phospholipid synthetic properties for these purified type II cells at different stages of culture were studied using the radioactivity labeled substances: palmitate, choline and acetate. Additionally, fibroblasts were recovered from the organotypic system and grown in isolated cultures or in combination with type II cells. A comparison of the phospholipid composition and biosynthesis for these cell preparations indicated that in all instances, with the exception of fetal lung fibroblasts, the cultures were capable of producing saturated phosphatidylcholine as a major phospholipid product. The relative molar incorporation into phospholipids for the substrates studied differed depending on the type cell preparation being examined. The formation of surfactant phospholipids appeared most similar for the organotypic system and mixed fibroblast/type II cell preparations. Furthermore, a mixed culture of fibroblasts and type II cells produced larger proportions of surfactant phospholipids than type II cells alone. These observations indicate that the organotypic system is a useful model for examining fetal lung surfactant phospholipid synthesis and may also be employed as a simple means or isolating fetal type II pneumocytes.