Mitoses in peripheral pulmonary epithelium: the effect of colchicine.

Injury in the periphery of the lung was studied in rats given intratracheal trypsin. Mitotic figures were noted in the alveolar epithelium, and colchicine enhanced the yield. Of 65 mitotic figures examined in detail, 46 were present in the alveolar epithelium. Epithelial mitoses were confined to type II cells, many of which contained lamellar inclusions, abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum, and luminal microvilli. Mitoses were not seen in type I cells or in less well differentiated epithelial cells, but they were noted in occasional endothelial and interstitial cells. Colchicine-arrested type II cells were distinguished by radially disposed chromosomes surrounding pairs of centrioles and randomly oriented microtubules. In addition, many of these cells showed a pronounced cortical zone, devoid of microvilli, and others showed cytotoxic degenerative changes. These observations indicate that the alveolar epithelium is renewed exclusively by division of differentiated type II cells.