Effect of surfactant inhalation on allergic bronchoconstriction in guinea pigs

In the small airway, surfactant reduces surface tension, prevents liquid filling of bronchioles, thereby maintaining patency in the small airways. Recent reports demonstrated that surfactant dysfunction develops in experimental asthma in immunized guinea pigs. However, there are few reports concerning surfactant and lung function in an experimental asthma model.

To examine whether inhaled surfactant improves lung mechanics in antigen-induced bronchoconstriction in guinea pigs.

We developed a passively immunized guinea pig model for allergic bronchoconstriction induced by antigen inhalation. Using this model, we investigated the effect of inhaled exogenous surfactant, surfactant TA, on the airway opening pressure (Pao) after antigen challenge.

Aerosol antigen challenge produced a gradual and long-lasting increase in Pao. Twenty minutes after antigen challenge, aerosolized surfactant TA, 20 mg/ml, was inhaled for 90 s, and it significantly reduced the Pao by 32.8% in 12 min, while a 10.2% reduction was observed in a control group in the same period. When surfactant TA was administered by 90-s inhalation before antigen challenge, it inhibited the Pao increase in a dose-dependent manner: mean inhibitory rates of Pao were 33.6% in surfactant TA 10 mg/ml and 61.9% in surfactant TA 20 mg/ml, respectively.

Inhaled surfactant showed preventive and recovery effects on antigeninduced bronchoconstriction in an immunized guinea pig model.