Development and characterization of type 2 pneumocyte-related cell lines from normal adult mouse lung.

Cell lines which exhibit epithelial morphology with surface microvilli and inclusion bodies characteristic of type 2 pneumocytes have been derived from normal adult mouse lung by a simple procedure involving enzymatic dispersal and mechanical elimination of other cell types. One of these cell lines designated NAL 1A, examined in detail, shows features consistent with its being related to type 2 pneumocytes of mouse lung. These features include desmosomes, dense lamellar bodies as well as phospholipid profiles related to immature surface active material, the inhibition of cell growth rate by dexamethasone, and the close similarity of the cytoskeletal protein patterns of this cell line to those of a metastatic type 2 pneumocyte-related cell line of mouse lung. The cell line from normal lung demonstrated near diploid chromosome number at low passage number with some evidence of karyotype instability at high passage number.