Effects of cardiogenic edema fluid on ion and fluid transport in the adult lung

We have previously shown that cardiogenic pulmonary edema fluid (EF) increases Na+ and fluid transport by fetal distal lung epithelia (FDLE) (Rafii B, Gillie DJ, Sulowski C, Hannam V, Cheung T, Otulakowski G, Barker PM and O'Brodovich H. J Physiol 544: 537–548, 2002). We now report the effect of EF on Na+ and fluid transport by the adult lung. We first studied primary cultures of adult type II (ATII) epithelium and found that overnight exposure to EF increased Na+ transport, and this effect was mainly due to factors other than catecholamines. Plasma did not stimulate Na+ transport in ATII. Purification of EF demonstrated that at least some agent(s) responsible for the amiloride-insensitive component resided within the globulin fraction. ATII exposed to globulins demonstrated a conversion of amiloride-sensitive short-circuit current (Isc) to amiloride-insensitive Isc with no increase in total Isc. Patch-clamp studies showed that ATII exposed to EF for 18 h had increased the number of highly selective Na+ c...