Summary
Various terpenes were spread in an in vitro approach on an artificial monolayer film of di-palmitoyllecithin and enriched natural pulmonary surfactant of rats; the initial surface pressures of these substrates were measured and the resulting surface pressure increment recorded. All terpenes used were able to decrease surface tension at the air/water interface. The outcoming data were used to fit a mathematical model showing that an increase in surface pressure can improve pulmonary function concerning the tidal volume. The in vitro results might be taken as a further rationale for surfactant substitution by appropriate molecules in vivo.
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Zänker, K.S., Blümel, G. Terpene-induced lowering of surface tension in vitro: A rationale for surfactant substitution. Res. Exp. Med. 182, 33–38 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01852285
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01852285