Clara cells, alveolar type II cells and pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAM) were isolated in high yield from rabbit lung. The purity of the cell fractions was 80–90%, 98% and above 99%, respectively. Cytochrome P-450 total content was determined in microsomes from freshly prepared cells. The Clara cells contained significantly more cytochrome P-450 than was found in whole lung microsomes. Furthermore, the cytochrome content of the Clara cells was 2 -fold higher than in the type II cells and 4 -fold higher than in the macrophages. 2-aminofluorene (AF) was the major metabolite in all preparations when intact cells were incubated with 2-acetylaminofuorene (AAF). The PAMs produced AF in the highest rates, while the Clara cells showed the largest rates of cytochrome P-450-dependent, ring hydroxylation of AAF. Mutagenic activation of AAF by isolated lung cells was assayed with a chamber-incubation method. The Clara cells were far more active than the type II cells in this respect, while the macrophages were inactive.
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Abbreviations
- AAF:
-
2-acetylaminofluorene
- AF:
-
2-aminofluorene
- DMSO:
-
dimethyl sulfoxide
- NBT:
-
nitro blue tetrazolium
- 7-OH-AAF:
-
7-hydroxy-AAF
- 9-OH-AAF:
-
9-hydroxy-AAF
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Aune, T., Devereux, T.R. & Tveito, K. Metabolism of 2-acetylaminofluorene by clara cells, type II cells and alveolar macrophages isolated from rabbit lung, and use of a new chamber incubation mutagenicity test system. Cell Biol Toxicol 1, 109–122 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00120158
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00120158