Neuropeptide stimulation of physiological and immunological responses in precision ‐cut lung slices

Schematic of the precision cut lung slice model where lungs are removed from a mouse and slices are cultured in  vitro. Cartoon representation shows calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) added to dishes resulted in a sex dependent increase in B cell and neuroendocrine body (NEB) cell populations and changes in surfactant protein C (SPC) containing granule size and number. AbstractOrganotypic lung slices, sometimes known as precision-cut lung slices (PCLS), provide an environment in which numerous cell types and interactions can be maintained outside the body (ex vivo). PCLS were maintained ex  vivo for up to a week and demonstrated health via the presence of neurons, maintenance of tissue morphology, synthesis of mucopolysaccharides, and minimal cell death. Multiple phenotypes of neuronal fibers were present in lung slices with varied size, caliber, and neurotransmitter immunoreactivity . Of the neuropeptides present in fibers, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) was the most prevalent. Exposing PCLS to recombinant CGRP resulted in the proliferation and dispersion of CD19+ B cells in slices taken selectively from females. The number of granules containing immunoreactive (ir) surfactant protein C (SPC), which are representative of alveolar type 2 cells, increased in slices from females within 24  h of exposure to CGRP. Additionally, ir-SPC granule size increased in slices from males and females across 48 h of exposure to CGRP. Exposure of PCLS to exogenous CGRP did n...
Source: Physiological Reports - Category: Physiology Authors: Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research