Zonation of ciliated cells on the epithelium of the rat trachea

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2003

Authors

Maria João R. Oliveira (Author) ICBAS; António Sousa Pereira (Author) ICBAS; L. Guimarães (Author) Other; N. R. Grande (Author) Other; Carlos Sá (Author) FEUP; Artur Águas (Author) ICBAS

Journal

Title: Lung

Vol. 181 No. 5

Pages: 275-282

ISSN: 0341-2040

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 9 Citations

Scopus - 8 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-000-FD1

DOI: 10.1007/s00408-003-1030-1

Abstract (EN): We have used scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to screen the entire epithelial surface of the cervical trachea of the adult rat. This scrutiny revealed that the density of ciliated cells along this epithelium follows a repetitive pattern: circular strips of high density of ciliated cells alternate with areas of low density of the same cells. Cilia-poor strips of the tracheal epithelium were seen on areas of cartilage rings; here, ciliated cells made up 32% of the total surface of the tracheal lining. Cilia-rich areas filled the epithelial surface at the tracheal ligaments (i.e., the regions located in-between the rings); here, ciliated cells occupied 65% of the tracheal lumen. In the cilia-poor zones, the density of ciliated cells decreased from its periphery into its center, where cilia were virtually absent. No differences in this pattern of the tracheal epithelium were seen between young adult and older rats. We conclude that the respiratory epithelium expresses density zonation of ciliated cells on the trachea of adult rats. We propose that the high concentration of ciliated cells on the regions of epithelium located at the tracheal ligaments suggests that these zones are electively committed in the clearance of the respiratory airway.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 8