Received November 2, 2000 Abstract Mammalian pulmonary surfactants contain four distinct surfactant proteins, termed surfactant proteins A, B, C, and D (SP-A, SP-B, SP-C, and SP-D), that play unique roles in host defense, surfactant phospholipid homeostasis, and surfactant function. While in vitro studies supported overlapping roles for the surfactant proteins, unique functions for each surfact...

Pulmonary surfactant is a unique mixture of lipids and surfactant-specific proteins that covers the entire alveolar surface of the lungs. Surfactant is not restricted to the alveolar compartment; it also reaches terminal conducting airways and is present in upper airway secretions. While the role of surfactant in the alveolar compartment has been intensively elucidated both in health and diseas...

TCR signaling plays a critical role in regulatory T cell (Treg) development. However, the mechanism for tissue-specific induction of Tregs in the periphery remains unclear. We observed that surfactant protein A (SP-A)-deficient mice have impaired expression of Foxp3 and fewer CD25(+)Foxp3(+) Tregs after ex vivo stimulation and after stimulation with LPS in vivo. The addition of exogenous SP-A c...

Respiratory failure secondary to surfactant deficiency is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in preterm infants. Surfactant therapy substantially reduces mortality and respiratory morbidity for this population. Secondary surfactant deficiency also contributes to acute respiratory morbidity in late-preterm and term neonates with meconium aspiration syndrome, pneumonia/sepsis, and perhaps p...

In asthma, inflammation-mediated surfactant dysfunction contributes to increased airway resistance, but the mechanisms for dysfunction are not understood. To test mechanisms that alter surfactant function, atopic asthmatics underwent endobronchial antigen challenge and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). BAL fluids were sequentially separated into cells, surfactant, and supernatant, and multiple end ...

An impaired function of alveolar surfactant can cause lung transplant dysfunction early after reperfusion. In this study it was investigated whether treatment with surfactant before reperfusion improves the immediate function of lung transplants and whether an improved transplant function was associated with an increase in alveolar surfactant components. Left lungs with 6-h (n = 8) or prolonged...

Washing is one of the common technologies in the chlorinated organic pollution site repair, surfactant adding would help washing more chlorinated organics pollution, but it also can be dissolved in eluent with the chlorinated organic together, and increase the difficulty of the eluent treatment. In this text, three surfactants, anionic surfactant (sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate, SDBS), cation...

Developmental deficiency in pulmonary surfactant leads to respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in preterm infants, but all newborns may have impaired surfactant metabolism secondary to lung disease or ventilator induced lung injury. Exogenous surfactant treatment is usually administered in conjunction with mechanical ventilation. If instead surfactant administration is followed by nasal continuo...

Two commonly used techniques in experimental lung research have helped to determine which variables influence surfactant distribution within the lung: radioactive labelling of surfactant components and admixture of coloured microspheres to surfactant. However, neither technique allows the description of surfactant distribution at the alveolar level. The aim of this study was to establish a new ...

Beta(2)-adrenergic agonists cause a release of pulmonary surfactant into lung airways. The surfactant phospholipids maintain the patency of the conducting airways, but this function is inhibited by plasma proteins entering an inflamed airway. The physical behavior of the surfactant can be studied with a pulsating bubble surfactometer and a capillary surfactometer. Calf lung surfactant extract w...