title: Pulmonary surfactant in bronchoalveolar lavage after canine lung transplantation: effect of L-carnitine application.
abstract: Pulmonary surfactant during lung transplantation was investigated in the control group of a canine single lung transplantation model by measuring dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine, the main phosphocholine fraction of surfactant in bronchoalveolar lavage. In a second group of dogs, L-carnitine, an essential cofactor for transfer of long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria, was applied. Organ function after pulmonary artery flushing with modified Euro-Collins solution and hypothermic storage for 4 hours was adequate in both groups, with significantly higher arterial oxygen pressure levels in the L-carnitine group after 12 (p less than 0.05) and 24 (p less than 0.025) hours, respectively. In the control group, a reduction of the dipalmitoyl-phosphotidylcholine portion on total phosphotidylcholines was observed 4 and 12 hours after transplantation of the left lung (p less than 0.005 and p less than 0.01, respectively, both specified by Student's t test for dependent data, not significant by Bonferroni correction). In the simultaneously stored right lungs, a constant fall of the dipalmitoyl-phosphotidylcholine portion was demonstrated. In the L-carnitine group, significantly higher dipalmitoyl-phosphotidylcholine levels were observed in the transplanted left lungs after 4 hours (p less than 0.01) and in the continuously stored right lungs after 24 hours (p less than 0.005), when compared with the control group. These results suggest that dipalmitoyl-phosphotidylcholine portion on total phosphotidylcholine decreases parallel to the extent of the ischemic damage. Furthermore, the application of L-carnitine improved pulmonary function after transplantation, possibly by reducing the impairing effect of ischemia on alveolar type II cell metabolism and thereby on pulmonary surfactant system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Surgery, University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Klepetko
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lohninger
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wisser
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Khünl-Brady
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Windisch
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Eckersberger
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wolner
mesh_terms: D015060:1,2-Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000032:analysis*; D002331:Carnitine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004285:Dogs; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D016040:Lung Transplantation; D009926:Organ Preservation; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000032:analysis*; D015424:Reperfusion; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants; D015060:1,2-Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine; D002331:Carnitine; D010100:Oxygen