Abstract
The development of rat lung from a primitive gas-exchange organ to the mature respiratory organ is in large part a postnatal phenomenon that has been well characterized by morphological and morphometric methods. The alveolarization of the lung is achieved during the first 3 weeks of life. Cholinergic innervation of rat lung also appears postnatally. We have monitored the presence or activity of several proteins during postnatal rat lung development. Newborn-rat lung contains negligible amounts of acetylcholinesterase, but the specific activity of acetylcholinesterase reaches adult values by postnatal day 10-11. Neonatal-rat lung does not contain significant amounts of β-galactoside-binding protein. The activity of this endogenous lung lectin was apparent at about day 6, was maximal between days 10 and 13 before declining 8-10-fold to reach adult values. Elastin has been implicated from morphological evidence as critical to lung restructuring. We have quantified the amount of desmosine and isodesmosine per g wet wt. of lung. The concentration of elastin, by this criterion, was low and stationary until postnatal day 7; a dramatic increase in elastin concentration occurred between days 10 and 20, when adult values were reached. The peak of lung-lectin was coincident with the maturation of acetylcholinesterase and the beginning of rapid elastin cross-linking. The specific activities of angiotensin-converting enzyme, carbonic anhydrase, choline kinase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase were also monitored.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1-8 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Biochemical Journal |
| Volume | 188 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| State | Published - Dec 1 1980 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry
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Postnatal development of rat lung. Changes in lung lectin, elastin, acetylcholinesterase and other enzymes. / Powell, J. T.; Whitney, P. L.
In: Biochemical Journal, Vol. 188, No. 1, 01.12.1980, p. 1-8.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Postnatal development of rat lung. Changes in lung lectin, elastin, acetylcholinesterase and other enzymes
AU - Powell, J. T.
AU - Whitney, P. L.
PY - 1980/12/1
Y1 - 1980/12/1
N2 - The development of rat lung from a primitive gas-exchange organ to the mature respiratory organ is in large part a postnatal phenomenon that has been well characterized by morphological and morphometric methods. The alveolarization of the lung is achieved during the first 3 weeks of life. Cholinergic innervation of rat lung also appears postnatally. We have monitored the presence or activity of several proteins during postnatal rat lung development. Newborn-rat lung contains negligible amounts of acetylcholinesterase, but the specific activity of acetylcholinesterase reaches adult values by postnatal day 10-11. Neonatal-rat lung does not contain significant amounts of β-galactoside-binding protein. The activity of this endogenous lung lectin was apparent at about day 6, was maximal between days 10 and 13 before declining 8-10-fold to reach adult values. Elastin has been implicated from morphological evidence as critical to lung restructuring. We have quantified the amount of desmosine and isodesmosine per g wet wt. of lung. The concentration of elastin, by this criterion, was low and stationary until postnatal day 7; a dramatic increase in elastin concentration occurred between days 10 and 20, when adult values were reached. The peak of lung-lectin was coincident with the maturation of acetylcholinesterase and the beginning of rapid elastin cross-linking. The specific activities of angiotensin-converting enzyme, carbonic anhydrase, choline kinase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase were also monitored.
AB - The development of rat lung from a primitive gas-exchange organ to the mature respiratory organ is in large part a postnatal phenomenon that has been well characterized by morphological and morphometric methods. The alveolarization of the lung is achieved during the first 3 weeks of life. Cholinergic innervation of rat lung also appears postnatally. We have monitored the presence or activity of several proteins during postnatal rat lung development. Newborn-rat lung contains negligible amounts of acetylcholinesterase, but the specific activity of acetylcholinesterase reaches adult values by postnatal day 10-11. Neonatal-rat lung does not contain significant amounts of β-galactoside-binding protein. The activity of this endogenous lung lectin was apparent at about day 6, was maximal between days 10 and 13 before declining 8-10-fold to reach adult values. Elastin has been implicated from morphological evidence as critical to lung restructuring. We have quantified the amount of desmosine and isodesmosine per g wet wt. of lung. The concentration of elastin, by this criterion, was low and stationary until postnatal day 7; a dramatic increase in elastin concentration occurred between days 10 and 20, when adult values were reached. The peak of lung-lectin was coincident with the maturation of acetylcholinesterase and the beginning of rapid elastin cross-linking. The specific activities of angiotensin-converting enzyme, carbonic anhydrase, choline kinase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase were also monitored.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0019188074&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 7406872
AN - SCOPUS:0019188074
VL - 188
SP - 1
EP - 8
JO - Biochemical Journal
JF - Biochemical Journal
SN - 0264-6021
IS - 1
ER -