Bioenergetic Pattern of Isolated Type II Pneumocytes in Air and during Hypoxia

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Abstract

The bioenergetic pattern of a cell clone derived from rat lung with ultrastructural and biochemical characteristics like those of type II pneumocytes (T-II-P), has been studied in a tissue culture system. During air cultivation, these cells have a high rate of aerobic and anaerobic glycolysis associated with high activities of two rate-limiting enzymes in glycolysis (pyruvate kinase [PyKi] and phosphofructokinase [PFK]). This is present despite the rates of oxygen consumption and activities of cytochrome oxidase (CyOx) similar to other lung cells. Presumably the high rate of aerobic glycolysis explains the substantial lactate production previously described in lung slices and in the intact perfused lung.

Authors

L. M. Simon