The size and shape of a surfactant aggregate could be altered by using supersaturation like in crystal growth, rather than applying common laws that drive surfactant aggregate formation.

objective: pulmonary air-leakage especially pneumothorax (ptx), is a severe complication in neonates. the aim of this study was to assess the predisposing factors and frequency of ptx among the low birth weight (lbw) premature infants, under mechanical ventilation. methods: this cross sectional study was performed in 121 lbw intubated premature infants at neonatal intensive care unit of a child...

Pulmonary surfactant is a complex and highly surface active material composed of lipids and proteins which is found in the fluid lining the alveolar surface of the lungs. Surfactant prevents alveolar collapse at low lung volume, and preserves bronchiolar patency during normal and forced respiration (biophysical functions). In addition, it is involved in the protection of the lungs from injuries...

We investigated whether pulmonary surfactant in rat lung transplants recovered during the first week post-transplantation, along with symptoms of the reimplantation response, and whether this recovery was affected by early surfactant treatment. The severity of pulmonary injury was varied by transplanting left lungs with 6-h and 20-h ischemia (n = 12 and 19, respectively). Half of the transplant...

Pulmonary surfactant is a substance composed of a lipoprotein complex that is essential to pulmonary function. Pulmonary surfactant proteins play an important role in the structure, function, and metabolism of surfactant; 4 specific surfactant proteins have been identified: surfactant proteins-A, surfactant proteins-B, surfactant proteins-C, and surfactant proteins-D. Clinical, epidemiological,...

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...

Previous in vitro studies have suggested that surfactant protein A (SP-A) may play a role in pulmonary surfactant homeostasis by mediating surfactant secretion and clearance. However, mice made deficient in SP-A [SP-A (-/-) animals] have relatively normal levels of surfactant compared with wild-type SP-A (+/+) animals. We hypothesize that SP-A may play a role in surfactant homeostasis after acu...

Pulmonary hypoplasia(PH) commonly occurs in association with oligohydramnios and other congenital anomalies, especially congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). Pulmonary hypoplasia is an important factor, as persistent pulmonary hypertension, in the prognosis of CDH. In some reports, there is a decrement of pulmonary surfactant in PH accompanying CDH. Recently, there are some reports that exogen...

This article is available online at http://www.jlr.org Pulmonary surfactant is a complex of phospholipids ( 90%) and proteins ( 10%) that reduces the surface tension in the alveoli of the lung ( 1, 2 ). Pulmonary surfactant is crucial for normal breathing and its defi ciency leads to fatal respiratory distress syndromes ( 3 ). The major phospholipids in pulmonary surfactant are phosphatidylcho...