Surfactant-inducted suppressive action on fibroblasts of pulmonary macrophages from rats with fibrosis after intratracheal administration of bleomycin
Taganovich, A.D.
Problemy Tuberkuleza 12: 46-49
1991
ISSN/ISBN: 0032-9533 PMID: 1725060 Document Number: 369332
Influence of lung macrophages and their contact with a surfactant on the fibroblast proliferative capacity was studied. It was found that fibroblasts added to the medium after culturing macrophages isolated from the rat lungs 3 weeks after intratracheal bleomycin administration led to a lower incorporation of 3H-thymidine into the fibroblast fraction precipitated with trichloroacetic acid. This phenomenon partially depended on prostaglandin synthesis in both types of cells. Preliminary macrophage incubation with the lung surfactant during 8 hours potentiated the inhibitory effect greatly. The use of indomethacin eliminated the surfactant-induced effects of macrophages on the fibroblasts. The surfactant isolated from the lung at the peak of bleomycin-induced fibroblast formation had a more pronounced suppressive action than that obtained from the control animals. Discussion of the results leads to the concept of the protective role of the lung surfactant in the formation of interstitial pneumofibrosis, which is aimed at lowering the proliferative capacity of fibroblasts and the hyperproduction of collagen.