Cellular adsorption of pulmonary surface-active material.

Abstract

An explanation was sought for the finding that lung washings, when centrifuged, yielded a sediment which exhibited strong surface-active properties, whereas the supernatant solution did not. Cells from the lungs, when washed and shaken, lost this property, but it appeared in their diluent. The surfactant in this diluent could be readsorbed on washed cells obtained from lung washing or on washed white cells obtained from the blood. Surfactant exists in a state in which it is adsorbed on the surface of cells obtained by washing the lungs; surfactant can be des orbed by shaking and rinsing these cells from the lungs; lung cells alone, or their membranes and particles obtained by Bonification lack such surface-active property; surfactant material desorbed from lung cells can be readsorbed onto washed lung cells or onto washed white blood cells by allowing the cells and surfactant to stand in contact overnight.