PROLONGED RESPONSE TO NATURAL VS SYNTHETIC SURFACTANT IN PRETERM RABBITS: EFFECTS ON LUNG WATER CLEARANCE. 2049

To compare the effects of two natural surfactant preparations [term fetal rabbit surfactant (FRS) and adult rabbit surfactant (ARS)] and two commercially available preparations [apoprotein-based Survanta® (S) and totally synthetic Exosurf® (E)] on lung water clearance in preterm rabbits following prolonged ventilation (3 hr), pups were delivered at 27 days gestation, treated with one of the surfactant preparations (FRS, ARS: 1250μg phospholipid per pup; S,E: according to manufacturer's directions), ventilated with 100% oxygen for 180 min, sacrificed and their extravascular lung water (EVLW) (ml H2O per g dry lung) determined. EVLW content was also determined on pups which did not survive the 180 min ventilation period. Untreated, ventilated pups served as controls.