Direct determination of volume- and time-dependence of alveolar surface tension in excised lungs.

Abstract
Alveolar surface tension was measured by observing the spreading properties of fluid droplets placed by micropipette within individual alveoli. Alveolar surface tension in excised rat lungs at total lung capacity and 37.degree. C was 29.7 .+-. 1.4 mN .cntdot. m-1. In lungs held at functional residual capacity, surface tension changed slowly, rising to 9 mN .cntdot. m-1 at 30 min with a subsequent, approximate linear rise to 16 mN .cntdot. m-1 at 115 min. Thereafter it rose more rapidly (20 mN .cntdot. m-1 at 140 min), suggesting that it was not asymptotically approaching an equilibrium value.

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