Radioisotopic labelling of endoalveolar surface-active phospholipidic fractions from rabbit pulmonary lavage

A simple method of detecting endoalveolar tensioactive system fractions employing intravenously injected 131I-triolein has been devised. The tracer has been administered to 7 adult rabbit groups then sacrificed at different time intervals after the injection. Endoalveolar tensioactive system lipidic fractions collected by pulmonary lavage have been separated with thin-layer chromatography and their radioactivity evaluated by scanning plates. Endoalveolar tensioactive system fractions containing considerable amounts of C 18 fatty acids have been selectively labelled.