Effect of recombinant SP-C surfactant in a porcine lavage model of acute lung injury

Synthetic surfactants allow examination of the effects of specific components of natural surfactant. To determine whether surfactant containing apoprotein C, dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, and palmitic acid restores gas-exchanging function in acute lung injury (ALI), we administered such surfactant tin doses of 50 or 100 mg/kg and in volumes from 1 to 6 ml/kg) or phospholipid (PL) alone, by intratracheal instillation, to pigs with ALI induced by massive saline lavage. Animals ventilated with 100% O-2 and receiving 1, 2, 4, or 6 ml/kg of 50 mg/kg recombinant surfactant apoprotein C: (rSP-C) surfactant or 2 ml/kg of 50 mg/kg PL (control) had mean arterial PO2 values, 4 h after treatment, of 230, 332, 130, 142, or 86 Torr, respectively. Animals receiving 1, 2, or 4 ml/kg of 100 mg/kg rSP-C surfactant or 2 ml/kg of 100 mg/kg PL (control) had mean arterial PO2 values of 197, 214, 148, or 88 Torr, respectively. Surfactant PL distribution was homogeneous. Hyaline membrane formation pp-as reduced in treated animals. Thus, in this model of ALI, rSP-C with PL has the capacity to improve gas exchange and possibly modify lung injury.