Studies on the Pathogenesis of Ischemic Cell Injury XV. Reversal of Ischemic Cell Injury in Hamster Trachea and Human Bronchus by Explant Culture

Hamster tracheal epithelium survived 3 hours of total ischemia at 37° C as demonstrated by its ability to be maintained in organ culture for 7 days subsequent to the ischemic episode. Epithelium ischemic for longer periods did not survive in culture. Human bronchial epithelium obtained from surgically resected lungs showed the acute effects of ischemia, i.e., the cells had dilated endoplasmic reticulum and swollen mitochondria. These cellular effects of ischemia were, however, reversed by placing the bronchus in explant culture. Bronchus obtained at autopsy, 2 to 3 hours following death, showed epithelial cells suffering severe ischemic cell injury, most of which did not survive in culture, but in some cases, a few basal cells survived to form a non-keratinizing squamous epithelium.