POSTNATAL DEVELOPMENT OF BRONCHIOLOAR EPITHELIUM

我们的长期目标是进行实验，以增加我们的 对胎儿围产期(主要是出生后)成熟的认识 肺的小导气管(细支气管壁)上皮。这 Goal是我们对细支气管性克拉拉长期兴趣的结果 手机。我们选择探索人的后天发育 细支气管上皮，因为1)我们的初步发现表明 在大鼠体内，这种上皮的成熟在很大程度上是早期的。 出生后事件，2)因为知道Clara细胞的成熟和 达到成人组成的细支气管壁上皮和 对这些发育过程的调控实际上是不存在的。 3)因为这些呼吸道是婴儿和婴儿的主要疾病的部位 成年人。我们更具体的目标是试图确定哪个因素(S) 标志着Clara细胞开始成熟(由 它们的糖原含量下降，体积分数增加 它们的分泌颗粒和粗面内质网)，并测定 如果有一个细胞成熟的“关键期” 细支气管炎。我们希望利用光和光来实现我们的特定目标 透射电子显微镜，形态计量学和知识 发育中的肺。我们认为我们可以实现我们的目标，因为我们拥有 我们计划使用的许多程序的经验，因为 所提出的研究在前期工作中有坚实合理的基础。 拟议的研究应该提供关于一个很少研究的领域的信息， 并可能为慢性病的发展提供对危险因素的洞察 儿童和成人的阻塞性肺病，最终可能是 应用于改善新生儿的保健。

Our long range goal is to perform experiments that will increase our understanding of the perinatal (mainly postnatal) maturation of the epithelium of small conducting airways (bronchioles) of the lung. This goal is an outgrowth of our long standing interest in the bronchiolar Clara cell. We have chosen to explore the postnatal development of the epithelium of bronchioles because 1) our preliminary findings indicate that in rats the maturation of this epithelium is in great part an early postnatal event, 2) because knowledge of the maturation of Clara cells and of the attainment of the adult composition of bronchiolar epithelium and the regulation of these developmental processes is virtually nonexistant and, 3) because these airways are sites of major diseases in infants and adults. Our more specific aims are to attempt to determine which factor(s) signals the initiation of maturation of Clara cells (as determined by a fall in their glycogen content and an increase in the volume fraction of their secretory granules and rough endoplasmic reticulum) and to determine if there is a "critical period" for the maturation of cells in bronchioles. We hope to achieve our specific aims using light and transmission electron microscopy, morphometry and knowledge of the developing lung. We think we can achieve our goals because we have experience with many of the procedures we plan to use and because the proposed studies have a firm and rational base in our preliminary work. The proposed study should provide information about an area little studied, and may provide insight into risk factors for the development of chronic obstructive lung disease in children and adults and may eventually be applied to improve the health care of neonates.