title: Recent advances in alveolar biology: some new looks at the alveolar interface.
abstract: This article examines the manner in which some new methodologies and novel concepts have contributed to our understanding of how pulmonary surfactant reduces alveolar surface tension. Investigations utilizing small angle X-ray diffraction, inverted interface fluorescence microscopy, time of flight-secondary ion mass spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, two-photon fluorescence microscopy and electrospray mass spectroscopy are highlighted and a new model of ventilation-induced acute lung injury described. This contribution attempts to emphasize how these new approaches have resulted in a fuller appreciation of events presumably occurring at the alveolar interface.
authors.affiliation: University of Western Ontario, Departments of Obstetrics/Gynaecology and Biochemistry, London, Ontario, Canada. fpossmay@uwo.ca
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Possmayer
authors.forename: Stephen B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Haller
authors.forename: Nils O
authors.initials: NO
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: Yi Y
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Zuo
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bernardino de la Serna
authors.forename: Anthony D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Postle
authors.forename: Ruud A W
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Veldhuizen
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Orgeig
mesh_terms: D055371:Acute Lung Injury / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000502:physiology*; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D013499:Surface Properties; D013500:Surface Tension; D055397:Ventilator-Induced Lung Injury / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants