Immunolocalization of antioxidant enzymes and isozymes of glutathione S-transferase in normal rat lung.

Polyclonal antisera to manganese and copper-zinc superoxide dismutases, catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and isozymes of glutathione S-transferase (liver and placental isolates, GST-L and GST-P, respectively) were used to localize these enzymes in normal rat lung by immunostaining. Light-microscopic results, using an immunoperoxidase technique, were expanded on by electron-microscopic immunogold localization. The findings were consistent with previous biochemical work. However, both GPx and GST-P were predominantly localized to extracellular connective tissue of the lung. These findings demonstrate the basal antioxidant enzyme phenotypes for parenchymal lung tissue at light- and electron-microscopic levels. Significant components of enzymatic defense to oxidant stress are heterogeneously distributed throughout rat lung tissue including both epithelial cell surfaces and the extracellular matrix.