Stereological and biophysical characteristics of the ovine surfactant system and its changes caused by ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma.

Surfactant covers the inner surface of lung alveoli and lowers the surface tension to prevent alveoli from collapsing. A lack of surfactant or its dysfunction causes dyspnea. The Jaagsiekte Sheep Retrovirus (JSRV) causes ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA), whose typical clinical appearance is fluid running from nostrils. This fluid might contain surfactant as alveolar type II pneumocytes (AEII) are target cells for JSRV. Therefore, the progressive dyspnea during OPA might be caused partially by surfactant alterations. Bronchoalveolar and intracellular surfactant as well as the biophysical function of surfactant were analyzed in OPA sheep and controls. Transmission electron microscopy and stereological methods were used to characterize ultrastructure and distribution of surfactant subtypes in AEII and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Pulsating Bubble Surfactometry enabled studying the surface activity of the surfactant, while lung volumes were detected by computed tomography. The methods used are suitable to determine intraalveolar and intracellular surfactant subtypes in OPA sheep and controls. OPA sheep showed more lamellar body-like forms, multivesicular vesicles and tubular myelin in BALF compared to controls. These higher amounts of active surfactant subtypes might be a consequence of a higher surfactant production and release. Surfactant subtypes in AEII of OPA sheep showed smaller and more immature lamellar bodies compared to controls. The surfactant surface activity of OPA sheep does not show obvious defects. In conclusion, the general quality of surfactant in OPA appears to be equivalent to surfactant produced in controls, however, dyspnea of OPA might be triggered by quantity of fluid production.

Characterization of surfactant alterations in pigs infected with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae.

PURPOSE/AIM OF THE STUDY: Surfactant, a surface active complex of phospholipids and proteins located at the inner surface of alveoli and small conducting airways is necessary for breathing. Bacterial respiratory tract infections frequently lead to surfactant alterations and to an increase in surface tension. Pigs, often used in experimental lung research, could suffer from severe pleuropneumonia, a highly contagious disease often characterized by sudden onset, short clinical course, high morbidity, and high mortality. It is caused by the gram-negative bacterium Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (A.pp.). This study tests the hypothesis that also in the subacute stage pathomorphological lung alterations are accompanied with increased inactive surfactant components. Clinical lung scores, functional and ultrastructural analysis of porcine surfactant were performed in pigs before infection and in the subacute state of infection. Clinical signs were determined using inter alia different subscores. Surfactant was isolated from the BALF for functional and quantitative ultrastructural studies. RESULTS: In the subacute stage clinical, ultrosonographic and radiographic scores as well as the overall Respiratory Health Score showed significantly higher values than before infection. However, surfactant surprisingly contained more active surfactant subtypes and significantly less inactive subtypes such as unilamellar vesicles. The quantity of multilamellar vesicles with unclear function did not differ. The minimal surface tension of surfactant before and after infection was comparable. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, in spite of continued severe lung tissue alterations the surfactant system show signs of recovery. This may be the result of an effective adaption to inflammatory lung disorders caused by swine-specific pathogens.