Significance of basal lamina for regeneration of injured lung.

Abstract

To study the relationship between basal lamina and regenerating cells, lungs of dogs were injured with intravenous injection of oleic acid. The lesion produced is characterized by desintigration of cells and by preservation of basal lamina. Within three days, regeneration with epithelial and endothelial cells, and probably with septal cells begins from the adjacent viable portions of the lung. Guided by the epithelial and endothelial basal lamina, these cells proliferate along the basal lamina surfaces, which have been denuded of cells, and in three weeks almost completely re-establish the structure and function of the lung. The new epithelial and endothelial cells grow directly upon the original basal lamina and do not deposit a new layer. Observations are presented which indicate that specific recognition systems may exist between denuded basal lamina and regenerating cells.