Abstract
Dipalmitoyl lecithin (DPL) is the primary physiologic constituent of pulmonary surfactant. However, there is little direct information about its site of synthesis or pathway of synthesis. Alveolar macrophages (>90 percent pure by light microscopy and < 0.5 percent with lamellar bodies by electron microscopy), peritoneal exudates (> 90 percent heterophils), and slices of the lung and liver from rabbits were studied. Pure saturated lecithins were separated from other lecithins after formation of mercuric acid adducts. Saturated lecithin (> 96 percent palmitate) accounted for ca 20 percent of the total lecithin from saline washed alveolar macrophages and 30 percent of that from lung slices.
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