| First Author | Akei H | Year | 2006 |
| Journal | Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol | Volume | 291 |
| Issue | 4 | Pages | L572-9 |
| PubMed ID | 16632521 | Mgi Jnum | J:121210 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3709527 | Doi | 10.1152/ajplung.00060.2006 |
| Citation | Akei H, et al. (2006) Surface tension influences cell shape and phagocytosis in alveolar macrophages. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 291(4):L572-9 |
| abstractText | The effect of surface tension on alveolar macrophage shape and phagocytosis was assessed in vivo and in vitro. Surface tension was regulated in vivo by conditionally expressing surfactant protein (SP)-B in Sftpb-/- mice. Increased surface tension and respiratory distress were produced by depletion of SP-B and were readily reversed by repletion of SP-B in vivo. Electron microscopy was used to demonstrate that alveolar macrophages were usually located beneath the surfactant film on the alveolar surfaces. Reduction of SP-B increased surface tension and resulted in flattening of alveolar macrophages on epithelial surfaces in vivo. Phagocytosis of intratracheally injected fluorescent microbeads by alveolar macrophages was decreased during SP-B deficiency and was restored by repletion of SP-B in vivo. Incubation of MH-S cells, a mouse macrophage cell line, with inactive surfactant caused cell flattening and decreased phagocytosis in vitro, findings that were reversed by the addition of sheep surfactant or phospholipid containing SP-B. SP-B controls surface tension by forming a surfactant phospholipid film that regulates shape and nonspecific phagocytic activity of alveolar macrophages on the alveolar surface. |
