Release of hydrogen peroxide by rat type II pneumocytes in the prolonged culture.

Type II pneumocytes (T II pneumocytes) produce hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), which may be potentially dangerous for the lung. These cells in culture differentiate to type I-like pneumocytes and it may reflect the differentiation which follows the injury of alveolar epithelium. This work was undertaken to estimate the H(2)O(2) release by T II pneumocytes, freshly isolated and cultured up to 8 days. The light and electron microscopy evaluation confirmed the differentiation of T II pneumocytes to type I-like cells. The release of H(2)O(2), estimated spectrofluorimetrically as homovanillic acid oxidation product obtained in the presence of horseradish peroxidase, was significantly higher at day 4 (0.63+/-0. 68nmol/mg protein/min, P