Korean J Anesthesiol.  1974 Jan;7(1):35-40.

Changes of Surfactant Activities of the Lung Washings of the Rabbit by Altering the Number of Washing

• Park JU
• Kim BK
• Lee SK

Abstract

In order to obtain a complete and lees contaminated lung washings from the rabbits, the left lung of rabbit was subjected to lavage with saline by altering the number of washing, i.e.: once, twice and thrice, and surface tension, protein content and phospholipid content of the lung washings were measured. Surface tension was measured by the modified Langmuir-Wilhelmy balance, Phospholipid content was determined by the modified method of Baginski, and protein content by the method of Lowry et al. The results obtained are summerized as follows: 1. The maximal surface tension, minimal surface tension, stability index, protein content and phospholiped content of left lung washings (once) were 53.9+/-2.7 dyne/cm, 11.4+/-8.4 dyne/cm, 1.4+/-0.4, 127.2+/-6.0 ug/ml, and 306.8+/-65.4 ug/ml, respectively. 2. The maximal surface tension, stability index, protein content and phospholipid content of left lung washings (twice) were 55.5+/-2.4 dyne/cm, 5.0+/-2.2 dyne/cm, 1.7+/-0.2, 166.6+/-11.0 ug/ml and 283.5+/-40.1 ug/ml, respectively. 3. The maximal surface tension, minimal surface tension, stability index, protein content, and phospholipid content of left lung washings (thrice) were 53.6+/-2.6 dyne/cm, 6.2+/-2.2 dyne/cm, 1.6+/-0.1, 184.3+/-15.4 ug/ml and 368.3+/-68.2 ug/ml, respectively. 4. The above results indicate that the most optimal number of rabbit left lung washing is twice.

MeSH Terms

Lung*
Rabbits
Surface Tension
Therapeutic Irrigation