The changing state of surfactant lipids: new insights from ancient animals

Abstract

Pulmonary surfactant is a mixture of phospholipids (including disaturated phospholipids), cholesterol and proteins lining the air-liquid interface within the lung. Surfactant acts to reduce surface tension, thereby increasing lung compliance and also preventing edema. The saccular lungs, or other gas-holding structures, of nonmammals have 7-70% more surfactant/cm2 of surface than lungs of mammals. Nonmammalian surfactant acts as an antiglue that decreases the inflation pressures of collapsed lungs by reducing the adherence of apposing epithelial surfaces. The autonomie nervous system appears to be the primary system controlling release of surfactant in nonmammals. The lipid composition is hi..