Alveolar phospholipids of 17-day-old pigs exposed to microorganisms of nonpulmonic origin

Alveolar lining material was obtained from gnotobiotic pigs; gnotobiotic pigs exposed to aerobes, anaerobes, or mixtures of both microorganisms; and conventional farm-raised pigs. Alveolar lining material concentrations of phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, and lysolecithin were determined. Seventy-four pigs were allotted to the following groups: 1--gnotobiotes (n = 13), 2--gnotobiotes with aerobes (n = 6), 3--gnotobiotes with anaerobes (n = 31), 4--gnotobiotes with anaerobes and aerobes (n = 2), 5--gnotobiotes with facultative anaerobes (n = 9), and 6--conventionally farm-farrowed (n = 13). The conventionally raised pigs had lysolecithin, sphingomyelin, and phosphatidylinositol concentrations that were significantly different from those of all other groups of pigs. Phosphatidylethanolamine was significantly decreased in group 6 pigs when compared with that in all other groups. There were also statistically significant differences between the gnotobiotic (group 1) and the exposed gnotobiotic (groups 2, 3, 4, 5) pigs, although the differences were less pronounced. Since intestinal microbes produce alveolar lining material phospholipid differences, studies need to be concerned with phospholipid changes that occur after exposure to lung-specific microorganisms and with physiologic changes in lung function associated with the phospholipid changes.