Abstract
The effect of human and of murine pulmonary surfactant (SF) was studied on the outgrowth of Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus pneumoniae. After centrifugation at 300.g, the cell free supernatants of human and murine broncho-alveolar lavage fluids were centrifuged at 25,000.g for collecting SF. The bacteria ( 105) were incubated with SF (2.5 mg/ml) or PBS for 2 hrs at 37°C, washed with PBS and plated overnight. Survival is given as the ratio of the number of colonies after incubation with SF to that of PBS.
With SF, the outgrowth of the lung pathogens was not inhibited, whereas the proliferation of non-typical lung pathogens was reduced. Proliferation of the sensitive strains was inhibited less at higher numbers of bacteria in inoculum. Conclusion: The antibacterial effect of human and murine surfactant is strongest against non-typical lung pathogens and is inversely related to the number of bacteria. (# Dutch Cancer Foundation: grant 85-84)
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Calame, W., Douwes-Idema, A. & Egberts, J. 164 ANTIBACTERIAL EFFECT OF PULMONARY SURFACTANT. Pediatr Res 30, 655 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199112000-00194
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199112000-00194