Ultrastructural analysis of lamellar bodies in type II alveolar epithelial cells in the human lung

作者：Dimitri Vanhecke, Jens Randel Nyengaard, Beat Haenni, Julia Schipke, Matthias Ochs · 发表于：American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1152/ajplung.00284.2024 · 被引用次数：8 · 研究领域：Inhalation and Respiratory Drug Delivery、Neonatal Respiratory Health Research、Medical Imaging and Pathology Studies

Human lung type II alveolar epithelial cells (AEC2) and their surfactant-storing lamellar bodies (LBs) are characterized quantitatively and ultrastructurally by transmission electron microscopy, serial section electron tomography, and stereology. On average, the 24 billion AEC2 in a human lung contain 324 LBs each. An intermediate surfactant pool in the human lung, comprising LBs in AEC2 not only directly but also indirectly connected to the plasma membrane via inter-LB connections, is demonstrated morphologically and characterized quantitatively.