CA2+, GAP JUNCTIONS & COMMUNICATION IN ALVEOLAR II CELLS

呼吸系统疾病是每年大量全科医生（约25%）和医院（约30%）就诊的原因。许多这些疾病的根源是肺泡II型细胞的功能失调。肺泡II型细胞是构成肺内膜的上皮细胞。除此之外，这些细胞在肺中提供关键的分泌物，防止肺衰竭，并提供适当的水环境，允许适当的氧气交换。同样重要的是，肺泡细胞在损伤后的细胞层的一般维持中起着至关重要的作用。肺泡II细胞功能障碍，如在哮喘、慢性支气管炎、支气管扩张、感染或损伤的重症病例后所见，可对肺生理产生严重影响（例如，O2转移减少，液体界面改变，或肺表面细胞类型错位，进一步加剧病变状态）。在任何时候，都有数以万计的肺泡II细胞协同工作以维持肺内稳态。然而，关于允许肺泡细胞共同工作以维持正常肺功能的细胞机制知之甚少。本研究的目的是利用先进的显微镜技术来监测细胞之间的通讯途径，并发现肺泡细胞如何协调它们的功能。我们必须了解导致沟通和协调组织和器官结果的基本细胞过程。肺泡细胞间通讯的模型系统可以加快肺泡细胞生理功能失调的新医学治疗的制定和测试，这是肺部疾病、侮辱和损伤后特定气道状况的基础。

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.