title: A theoretical study of chemical delivery within the lung using exogenous surfactant.
abstract: A mathematical model is developed for lung injury treatments involving the delivery of therapeutic chemicals, such as drugs and gene vectors, into the lung using simultaneous tracheal instillation of exogenous pulmonary surfactant. The influence of exogenous surfactant dose, flow rate, bulk liquid viscosity, pulmonary absorption rate and chemical molecular diffusivity on the chemical delivery to the lung is investigated. Our results reveal that different pulmonary absorption rates lead to significantly different distribution patterns and change the time taken for the total amount of chemical to be absorbed along the airways. The various factors can also influence where the majority of the chemical is placed within the lung and this is relevant to the targeting of drugs to particular lung generations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemical Technology, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London SW7 2BY, UK.
authors.forename: Yong Liang
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Omar K
authors.initials: OK
authors.lastname: Matar
authors.forename: Richard V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Craster
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000392:Air Movements; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004058:Diffusion; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D008954:Models, Biological; D014677:Pharmaceutical Vehicles / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D011312:Pressure; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D012212:Rheology / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013499:Surface Properties; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014783:Viscosity
chemical_list: D014677:Pharmaceutical Vehicles; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants