The Alteration and Significance of Surfactant Protein A in Rats Chronically Exposed to Cigarette Smoke

• Published in: Journal of Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Medical sciences Vol. 28; no. 2; pp. 128 - 131
• Main Author: 胡琼洁 张惠兰 熊盛道 史雪梅 徐永健 张珍祥 甄国华 赵建平
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Huazhong University of Science and Technology 01.04.2008; Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease of Ministry of Public Health, Wuhan 430030, China
• Subjects: Animals; Gene Expression Regulation; Immunohistochemistry - methods; Lung - metabolism; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Microscopy, Electron; Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A - biosynthesis; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Smoking - adverse effects; Tobacco Smoke Pollution - adverse effects; 呼吸系统; 蛋白质; 表面活性物质; mRNA; immunohistochemistry; alveolar type II cells; smoking; SP-A; alveolar type Ⅱ cells
• ISSN: 1672-0733; 1993-1352
• DOI: 10.1007/s11596-008-0203-9

In order to confirm the alteration and significance of cigarette smoke exposure on SP-A in rats, 20 Wistar rats were assigned randomly to two groups： an N group （n=10）, and an S group （n=10）. The ultra-structural change was observed by electron microscopy. The number of cells positive for SPA was by immunohistochemically measured. The mRNA expression in the lung tissues was determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR）. The number of cells positive for SPA of the S group （0.52±0.05） was lower than that of the N group （0.72±0.06） （P〈0.05）. The levels of mRNA of SPA in the lung tissues of the S group （0.3522±0.0512） was significantly lower than that of the N group （0.4432± 0.05628） （P〈0.05）. It is concluded that cigarette smoke alone decreased the level of SP-A and that might have an important effect on surfactant metabolism and the host defense functions of surfactant in the peripheral airways, which might play a crucial role in the development of chronic obstructive lung disease.