Correlations between physical and physiological properties of various preparations of lung surfactant
Nohara, K.; Berggren, P.; Curstedt, T.; Grossmann, G.; Nilsson, R.; Robertson, B.
European Journal of Respiratory Diseases 69(5): 321-335
1986
ISSN/ISBN: 0106-4339 PMID: 3792468 Document Number: 284488
The physical and physiological properties of natural surfactant were investigated after the addition of various synthetic lipids. Three types of surfactant were studied: 1. Bovine surfactant with rapid spreading (1.6 s) and a relatively high minimal surface tension during surface compression (16 mN/m). 2. The same surfactant enriched with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), tripalmitin, and palmitic acid showing slow spreading (55 s) and low minimal surface tension (5 mN/m). 3. The same surfactant enriched with DPPC and dipalmitin, showing rapid spreading (1.8 s) and low minimal surface tension (6 mN/m). The physiological properties of these surfactants were evaluated in immature newborn rabbits. All three preparations effectively improved lung expansion and stability in pressure-volume recordings, increased tidal volumes during artificial ventilation, and enhanced alveolar volume density in histological sections. The magnitude of the therapeutic effects was similar for non-enriched and enriched materials. Thus, wide variations in in vitro surface properties do not seem to influence the in vivo activity of the surfactant preparations.