title: The Equilibrium Spreading Tension of Pulmonary Surfactant.
abstract: Monomolecular films at an air/water interface coexist at the equilibrium spreading tension (γ(e)) with the bulk phase from which they form. For individual phospholipids, γ(e) is single-valued, and separates conditions at which hydrated vesicles adsorb from tensions at which overcompressed monolayers collapse. With pulmonary surfactant, isotherms show that monolayers compressed on the surface of bubbles coexist with the three-dimensional collapsed phase over a range of surface tensions. γ(e) therefore represents a range rather than a single value of surface tension. Between the upper and lower ends of this range, rates of collapse for spread and adsorbed films decrease substantially. Changes during adsorption across this narrow region of coexistence between the two- and three-dimensional structures at least partially explain how alveolar films of pulmonary surfactant become resistant to collapse.
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University , Portland, Oregon 97239-3098, United States.
authors.forename: Maayan P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Dagan
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University , Portland, Oregon 97239-3098, United States.
authors.forename: Stephen B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D010743:Phospholipids / Q000737:chemistry; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000737:chemistry*; D013500:Surface Tension
chemical_list: D010743:Phospholipids; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants