Evidence for the presence of lipofibroblasts in human lung.

The lipid-containing alveolar interstitial fibroblast (lipofibroblast) is known to be critically involved in rodent lung development, homeostasis, and injury/repair. However, there is lack of information on their presence and function in the human lung. Based on a number of morphological (lipid staining), molecular (presence of characteristic lipogenic and absence of myogenic markers), and functional (triglyceride uptake) characteristics that are the hallmarks of the rodent lung lipofibroblast, using human lung fibroblasts of embryonic (WI-38) and adult origin and lung tissue from human autopsy specimens, the authors for the first time clearly demonstrate the presence of lipofibroblasts in the human lung.