Hyaluronan Production in vitro by Fetal Lung Fibroblasts and Epithelial Cells Exposed to Surfactants of N-acetylcysteine

Abstract

Fetal human lung fibroblasts and feline lung epithelial cells were exposed to either a surfactant or N-acetylcysteine in various concentrations for 24–48 hours, after which the hyaluronan concentration in the culture medium was determined. Most of the experiments showed no stimulatory effect of either artificial or natural surfactant on hyaluronan synthesis. N-acetylcysteine 5–100 mg/mL induced progressive stimulation of hyaluronan synthesis by human fetal lung fibroblasts, resulting in a maximum hyaluronan concentration six times that released by unexposed cells. A slight increase in hyaluronan synthesis was also observed after exposure of feline fetal lung epithelial cells to N-acetylcysteine 50–100 (μg/mL.