Kw. Lu et al., Polyethylene glycol/surfactant mixtures improve lung function after HCl and endotoxin lung injuries, AM J R CRIT, 164(8), 2001, pp. 1531-1536
Addition of nonionic polymers such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) and dextran
ameliorates inactivation of Survanta by a variety of substances in vitro,
Addition of polymers to Survanta also improves pulmonary function when used
to treat rats with lung injury caused by instillation of human meconium. T
o find whether this approach is effective in lung injuries that more closel
y resemble adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), we have compared the
use of Survanta with Survanta + PEG in two additional models of lung injur
y caused by either lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or HCI in adult rats. Significa
nt improvement of serial measures for arterial oxygenation and of postmorte
m pressure-volume measurements were found after treatment with Survanta + P
EG compared with Survanta alone. PEG added to Survanta increased resistance
to inactivation caused by tracheal fluid taken from animals injured with H
CI. Other work suggests that PEG promotes surfactant aggregation, separates
surfactant from surfactant inhibitors, and enhances access of surfactant t
o the gas-liquid interface. The addition of polymers to surfactants may als
o be useful in the treatment of lung injury where inactivation of surfactan
t has already occurred.