Effect of the compression ratio on properties of lung surfactant (bovine lipid extract surfactant) films

A micromechanical model for estimating alveolar wall strain in mechanically ventilated edematous lungs

To elucidate the micromechanics of pulmonary edema has been a significant medical concern, which is beneficial to better guide ventilator settings in clinical practice. In this paper, we present an adjoining two-alveoli model to quantitatively estimate strain and stress of alveolar walls in mechanically ventilated edematous lungs. The model takes into account the geometry of the alveolus, the effect of surface tension, the length-tension properties of parenchyma tissue, and the change in thickness of the alveolar wall. On the one hand, our model supports experimental findings (Perlman CE, Lederer DJ, Bhattacharya J. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 44: 34-39, 2011) that the presence of a liquid-filled alveolus protrudes into the neighboring air-filled alveolus with the shared septal strain amounting to a maximum value of 1.374 (corresponding to the maximum stress of 5.12 kPa) even at functional residual capacity; on the other hand, it further shows that the pattern of alveolar expansion appears heterogeneous or homogeneous, strongly depending on differences in air-liquid interface tension on alveolar segments. The proposed model is a preliminary step toward picturing a global topographical distribution of stress and strain on the scale of the lung as a whole to prevent ventilator-induced lung injury.

Pulmonary Surfactant and its in vitro Assessment Using Axisymmetric Drop Shape Analysis (ADSA): A Review

Recent progress in the study of pulmonary surfactant is reviewed. The first half of this paper provides general background in both physiological and clinical perspectives. The second half focuses on the in vitro assessment of pulmonary surfactant using methods based on a drop shape technique, Axisymmetric Drop Shape Analysis (ADSA). Theories, experiments, and techniques of image analysis used in these ADSA methods are briefly described. Typical applications of these methods are discussed in detail. It is concluded that the accuracy, versatility, and simplicity of these ADSA methods render them suitable to the study of pulmonary surfactant.

A model of ventilation of the healthy human lung

This paper presents a model of the lung mechanics which simulates the pulmonary alveolar ventilation. The model includes aspects of: the alveolar geometry; pressure due to the chest wall; pressure due to surface tension determined by surfactant activity; pressure due to lung tissue elasticity; and pressure due to the hydrostatic effects of the lung tissue and blood. The cross-sectional area of the lungs in the supine position derived from computed tomography is used to construct a horizontally layered model, which simulates heterogeneous ventilation distribution from the non-dependent to the dependent layers of the lungs. The model is in agreement with experimentally measured hysteresis of the pressure-volume curve of the lungs, static lung compliance, changes in lung depth during breathing and density distributions at total lung capacity (TLC) and residual volume (RV). In the dependent layers of the lungs, alveolar collapse may occur at RV, depending on the assumptions concerning lung tissue elasticity at very low alveolar volumes. The model simulations showed that ventilation increased with depth in the lungs, although not as pronounced as observed experimentally. The model simulates alveolar ventilation including all of the mentioned components of the respiratory system and to be validated against all the above mentioned experimental data.

Physicochemical studies on the interaction of serum albumin with pulmonary surfactant extract in films and bulk bilayer phase

Functionality, structure and composition of the adsorbed films of bovine lipid extract surfactant (BLES), in the absence and presence of bovine serum albumin (BSA), at the air-buffer interface was characterized through surface tension, atomic force microscopy and time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometric methods. Gel and fluid domains of BLES films were found to be altered significantly in the presence of BSA. Differential scanning calorimetric studies on BLES dispersions in presence of BSA revealed that the perturbations of the lipid bilayer structures were significant only at higher amount of BSA. FTIR studies on the BLES dispersions in buffer solution revealed that BSA could affect the lipid head-group hydrations in bilayer as well as the methylene and methyl vibration modes of fatty acyl chains of the phospholipids present in BLES. Serum albumin could perturb the film structure at pathophysiological concentration while higher amount of BSA was required in perturbing the bilayer structures. The studies suggest a connected perturbed bilayer to monolayer transition model for surfactant inactivation at the alveolar-air interface in dysfunctional surfactants.

The effect of tissue elastic properties and surfactant on alveolar stability

This paper presents a novel mathematical model of alveoli, which simulates the effects of tissue elasticity and surfactant on the stability of human alveoli. The model incorporates a spherical approximation to the alveolar geometry, the hysteretic behavior of pulmonary surfactant and tissue elasticity. The model shows that the alveolus without surfactant and the elastic properties of the lung tissue are always at an unstable equilibrium, with the capability both to collapse irreversibly and to open with infinite volume when the alveolus has small opening radii. During normal tidal breathing, the alveolus can becomes stable, if surfactant is added. Including the passive effect of tissue elasticity stabilizes the alveolus, further allowing the alveoli to be stable, even for lung volumes below residual volume. The model is the first to describe the combined effects of tissue elasticity and surfactant on alveolar stability. The model may be used as an integrated part of a more comprehensive model of the respiratory system, since it can predict opening pressures of alveoli.

Effect of humidity on the stability of lung surfactant films adsorbed at air–water interfaces

The effect of humidity on the film stability of Bovine Lipid Extract Surfactant (BLES) is studied using the captive bubble method. It is found that adsorbed BLES films show distinctly different stability patterns at two extreme relative humidities (RHs), i.e., bubbles formed by ambient air and by air prehumidified to 100% RH at 37 degrees C. The differences are illustrated by the ability to maintain low surface tensions at various compression ratios, the behavior of bubble clicks, and film compressibility. These results suggest that 100% RH at 37 degrees C tends to destabilize the BLES films. In turn, the experimental results indicate that the rapidly adsorbed BLES film on a captive bubble presents a barrier to water transport that retards full humidification of the bubble when ambient air is used for bubble formation. These findings necessitate careful evaluation and maintenance of environmental humidity for all in vitro assessment of lung surfactants. It is also found that the stability of adsorbed bovine natural lung surfactant (NLS) films is not as sensitive as BLES films to high humidity. This may indicate a physiological function of SP-A and/or cholesterol, which are absent in BLES, in maintaining the extraordinary film stability in vivo.

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) enhances dynamic surface activity of a bovine lipid extract surfactant (BLES)

Shortage or malfunction of pulmonary surfactant in alveolar space leads to a critical condition termed respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Surfactant replacement therapy, the major method to treat RDS, is an expensive treatment. In this paper, the effect of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to improve dynamic surface activity of a bovine lipid extract surfactant (BLES) was studied by axisymmetric drop shape analysis (ADSA) and a captive bubble method. The activity of BLES+PEG mixtures was compared to that of a natural surfactant containing surfactant proteins A and D. When PEG was added into BLES mixtures, the surface tension hysteresis of BLES films was minimized when the films were compressed by more than 50%. PEG also helps to quickly restore surfactant films after film collapse. Thus, as far as surface tension effects go, the findings suggest that PEG might be used as a substitute for surfactant-associated protein SP-A in therapeutic surfactant products, and might also be used to reduce the amount of BLES required in clinical applications.

Further development of Axisymmetric Drop Shape Analysis-Captive Bubble for pulmonary surfactant related studies

The methodology combining Axisymmetric Drop Shape Analysis (ADSA) with a captive bubble (ADSA-CB) facilitates pulmonary surfactant related studies. The accuracy of ADSA-CB is crucially dependent on the quality of the bubble profile extracted from the raw image. In a previous paper, an image analysis scheme featuring a Canny edge detector and a Axisymmetric Liquid Fluid Interfaces-Smoothing (ALFI-S) algorithm was developed to process captive bubble images under a variety of conditions, including images with extensive noise and/or lack of contrast. A new version of ADSA-CB based on that image analysis scheme is developed and applied to pulmonary surfactant and pulmonary surfactant-polymer systems. The new version is found to be highly noise-resistant and well self-adjusting.

Pulmonary surfactant from healthy Belgian White and Blue and Holstein Friesian calves: biochemical and biophysical comparison

The biochemical composition and biophysical behaviour of pulmonary surfactant samples isolated from healthy Belgian White and Blue (BWB) and Holstein Friesian (HF) calves have been investigated and compared. Interesting differences in composition have been demonstrated. In particular, a higher level of total hydrophobic surfactant-associated proteins (SP) (due to higher levels of SP-B and SP-C) is reported in HF calves compared to BWB calves. Higher levels of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and especially the disaturated form of PC were also found in HF as compared to BWB calves. No immediate effect on the surface tension properties evaluated by the pulsating bubble surfactometer was found between the surfactant samples of the two breeds under physiological conditions. However, since a high content of disaturated PC and the presence of the SP-B and SP-C are thought to be essential for the surface activity, we propose that the reported modifications could contribute to the apparently lower resistance of the BWB calves to respiratory troubles in comparison with HF calves.

The effect of dextran to restore the activity of pulmonary surfactant inhibited by albumin

Pulmonary surfactant is crucial to maintain the proper functioning of the respiration system. Certain types of blood proteins (e.g. albumin) were found to inhibit the activity of pulmonary surfactant. Axisymmetric Drop Shape Analysis (ADSA) was used to study the effect of dextran to restore the activity of an albumin-inhibited pulmonary surfactant. It was found that dextran could effectively restore surface tension properties of the inhibited surfactant in vitro. Furthermore, dextran improved the performance of pulmonary surfactants when albumin was absent. It was found that when a surfactant film was under high compression (e.g. above 70% surface area reduction), the presence of dextran increased film stability, so that the film could sustain high surface pressures without being collapsing.