Lung surfactant composition in puppies dying of fading puppy complex

The composition of surfactant from the lungs of neonatal puppies dying from 'fadding puppy complex' differs from that of neonates dying from other causes. Surfactant from 'fading puppies' contained significantly less phosphatidylcholine than did the surfactant from other puppies, and therefore abnormal surfactant may be implicated in fading puppy complex. Abnormal surfactant has been implicated in the pathogenesis of sudden infant death syndrome in human infants.