Yonsei Med J.  2016 Jan;57(1):203-208. 10.3349/ymj.2016.57.1.203.

Development of a Synthetic Surfactant Using a Surfactant Protein-C Peptide Analog: In Vitro Studies of Surface Physical Properties

• Bae CW
• Chung SH
• Choi YS

• KMID: 2466371
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2016.57.1.203

Abstract

PURPOSE
Pulmonary surfactant (PS) replacement has been the gold standard therapy for neonatal respiratory distress syndrome; however, almost all commercial PSs contain animal proteins. We prepared a synthetic PS by using a human surfactant protein (SP) analog and evaluated its in vitro properties.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A peptide sequence (CPVHLKRLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL) of human SP-C was chosen to develop the peptide analog (SPa-C). The new synthetic SP-C PS (sSP-C PS) was synthesized from SPa-C, dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidyl glycerol, and palmitic acid. Physical properties of the sSP-C PS were evaluated by measuring the maximum and minimum surface tensions (STs), surfactant spreading, and adsorption rate. In addition, we recorded an ST-area diagram. The data obtained on sSP-C PS were subsequently compared with those of purified natural bovine surfactant (PNBS), and the commercial product, Surfacten(R).
RESULTS
The sSP-C PS and Surfacten(R) were found to have maximum ST values of 32-33 mN/m, whereas that of PNBS was much lower at 19 mN/m. The minimum ST values of all three products were less than 10 mN/m. The values that were measured for the equilibrium ST of rapidly spreading sSP-C PS, Surfacten(R), and PNBS were 27, 27, and 24 mN/m, respectively. The surface adsorptions were found to be the same for all three PSs (20 mN/m). ST-area diagrams of sSP-C PS and Surfacten(R) revealed similar properties.
CONCLUSION
In an in vitro experiment, the physical properties exhibited by sSP-C PS were similar to those of Surfacten(R). Further study is required to evaluate the in vivo efficacy.

Keyword

Pulmonary surfactant; surfactant protein-C; synthetic peptide syntheses; respiratory distress syndrome; surface tension

MeSH Terms

1,2-Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine/analogs & derivatives
Adsorption
Amino Acid Sequence/*genetics
Animals
C-Peptide/*chemistry
Cattle
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein C/*chemical synthesis/pharmacology
Pulmonary Surfactants/*chemical synthesis/pharmacology
Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn/*drug therapy
*Surface Properties
*Surface Tension
Surface-Active Agents
C-Peptide
1,2-Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine
Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein C
Pulmonary Surfactants
Surface-Active Agents

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Physical property diagrams of the three different preparations. (A) The graph shows the surface spreading rate. The equilibrium surface tension measurements obtained within 10 seconds were similar to those of Surfacten® and the synthetic surfactant protein C pulmonary surfactant (sSP-C PS); however, a lower value was obtained with purified natural bovine surfactant (PNBS). (B) The graph shows the surface adsorption rate curve. Both Surfacten® and PNBS reached rapid adsorption equilibrium surface tension within one minute, while sSP-C PS required more than one minute to reach equilibrium. (C) The graph shows the surface tension-area diagram. All three surfactant preparations exhibited reproducible hysteresis curves.

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