Chapter 4 Explant Culture of Human Peripheral Lung

Abstract

This chapter describes the explant culture of human peripheral lung. Fragments of fetal or adult lung have been cultured from human or animal species and on various substrates such as membrane filters on stainless steel grids, lens paper. Prior to culture, the lung specimens consist of typical alveolar structures lined with epithelial cells. The alveoli in specimens from some patients are nearly filled with macrophages, whereas in other cases they contain only a small number of macrophages. Connective tissue composed of fibroblast cells, collagen, and elastin often surrounds the alveolar structures. Terminal bronchiolar cells and endothelial cells are also observed. The alveoli of fresh tissue contained type-1 epithelial cells with extended cytoplasm and type-2 epithelial cells. Gaseous exchange occurs across the cytoplasm of the type-1 cells. Type-2 cells contained intracytoplasmic lamellar inclusion bodies that corresponded to the darkly stained inclusions observed in the cytoplasm of these cells with light microscopy. The alveolar walls remained intact in the peripheral portions of the explants for relatively long periods of time.