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Journal article

Developmental alveolarization of the mouse lung.

  • 2008-07-25
Published in:
  • Developmental dynamics : an official publication of the American Association of Anatomists. - 2008
Age Factors
Animals
Imaging, Three-Dimensional
Mice
Mice, Inbred Strains
Microscopy
Pulmonary Alveoli
Respiratory Mucosa
Synchrotrons
Tomography, X-Ray
English Postnatal lung development is not well characterized in mice, especially the time point when alveolarization is completed. Using the total length and the length density of the free septal edge as measured for the formation of new septa, we followed alveolarization throughout postnatal lung development (days 2-125). Furthermore, the alveolar surface area was estimated. The formation of new septa was observed until day 36. Approximately 10% of the septa present in adult mice were formed prenatally by branching morphogenesis, approximately 50% were generated postnatally before and approximately 40% after maturation of the alveolar microvasculature. Approximately 5% of the alveolar surface area present during adulthood was present before alveolarization started, approximately 55% was formed during alveolarization (days 4-36) and approximately 40% afterward due to growth processes. We conclude that alveolarization continues until young adulthood and that the maturation of the alveolar microvasculature does not preclude further alveolarization.
Language
  • English
Open access status
green
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Persistent URL
https://sonar.ch/global/documents/182963
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