CA2+, GAP JUNCTIONS & COMMUNICATION IN ALVEOLAR II CELLS

呼吸系统疾病每年导致相当数量的全科医生(约25%)和医院(约30%)就诊。这些疾病中的许多都源于肺泡II型细胞功能失调的细胞生理。肺泡II型细胞是构成肺内膜的上皮细胞。除其他外，这些细胞在肺内提供关键的分泌物，防止肺崩溃，并提供适当的水环境，允许适当的氧气交换。同样重要的是，肺泡细胞在损伤或损伤后细胞层的一般维持中起着至关重要的作用。严重的哮喘、慢性支气管炎、支气管扩张、感染或损伤后，肺泡II细胞功能障碍可对肺生理产生严重影响(例如氧气转移减少、液体界面改变或细胞类型在肺表面错位，从而进一步加剧疾病状态)。在任何给定的时间，都有数万到数十万的肺泡II细胞共同工作，以维持肺内环境的稳定。然而，关于肺泡细胞协同工作以维持正常肺功能的细胞机制知之甚少。这项建议的目的是利用先进的显微镜技术，使我们能够监测细胞之间的通信路径，并发现肺泡细胞如何协调其功能。我们必须了解导致沟通和协调的组织和器官结果的基本细胞过程。利用肺泡细胞间通讯的模型系统，可以加快制定和测试肺泡细胞生理学功能障碍的新医疗方法，这种细胞生理学是肺部疾病、损伤和损伤后特定呼吸道状况的基础。

Respiratory ailments are responsible for a significant number of general practitioner (approximately 25 percent) and hospital (approximately 30 percent) visits each year. Many of these ailments are rooting in the dysfunctional cellular physiology of alveolar type II cells. Alveolar type II cells are epithelial cells that contribute to the lining of the lung. Among other things, these cells provide critical secretions in the lung that keep the lung from collapsing and provide for a proper aqueous environment that allows for proper oxygen exchange. Just as importantly, alveolar cells are crucial in general maintenance of the cellular layer following insult or injury. Dysfunction of alveolar II cells, as seen after severe cases of asthma, chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis, infection or injury, can have serious effects on lung physiology, (e.g. reduced O2 transfer, altered liquid interface, or misplacement of cell types at the lung surface that further exasperate the diseased state). At any given time, there are tens to hundreds of thousands of alveolar II cells working together to maintain lung homeostasis. However, there is little known concerning the cellular mechanisms that allow for alveolar cells work together for normal lung function. It is the purpose of this proposal to utilize advanced microscopy techniques that allows us to monitor communication pathways between cells and discover how alveolar cells coordinate their function. It is essential that we understand the basic cellular processes that lead to communicated and coordinated tissue and organ outcomes. With a model system for alveolar intercellular communication could expedite the formulating and testing of new medical treatments for dysfunctional alveolar cell physiology that underlies specific airway conditions following disease, insult and injury in the lung.