ABSTRACT
The dynamic surface tension of aqueous lung surfactant is important for the inter face of alveolar lining layers and for stabilizing the lungs for proper breathing [1,2]. The natural lung or pulmonary surfactant consists of various lipids and proteins. The major lipid component DPPC [dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine] is essential for proper biophysical function, but in order to generate low dynamic surface tensions, it requires the synergistic presence of other lipids and two hy drophobic proteins, SP-B and SP-C [3-43]. Two commercial surfactants are cur rently available in the United States for exogenous replacement therapy of prema ture infants suffering from the Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) [2,43]. The RDS is thought to be caused primarily by a lack of sufficient amounts of certain or most components of the lung surfactant mixture [1,2]. This insufficiency appar ently produces higher surface tensions than biophysically required at the alveolar lining layer.
