Synthetic surfactant: primary data

Abstract

Treatment of premature newborn rabbits with synthetic surfactants containing both an SP-B and an SP-C analogue in a simple phospholipid mixture has similar tidal volumes as those treated with animal-derived surfactant preparations and will also to some extent prevent the alveoli to collapse at end expiration, even if no positive end-expiratory pressure is applied. The stabilising effect seems to depend on the structure of the peptides as well as the phospholipid composition. Thus, optimal synthetic surfactants containing two peptides combined with a complex phospholipid composition seem to be ideal to replace natural surfactants within a near future.