Black Film Method for assessment of therapeutic surfactants

Black Film Method for Assessment of Therapeutic Surfactants 

Let us summarise the conditions of formation of a microscopic foam film in order to serve the in vivo situation. These are film radius r from 100 to 400 pm capillary pressure pa = 0.3 - 2.5-102 Pa electrolyte (NaCl) concentration Ce 0.1 mol dm 3, ensuring formation of black films (see Section 3.4) and close to the physiological electrolyte concentration sufficient time for surfactant adsorption at both film surfaces. Under such conditions it is possible also to study the suitable dependences for foam films and to use parameters related to formation and stability of black foam films, including bilayer films (see Section 3.4.4). For example, the threshold concentration C, is a very important parameter to characterise stability and is based on the hole-nucleation theory of bilayer stability of Kashchiev-Exerowa. As discussed in Section 3.4.4, the main reason for the stability of amphiphile bilayers are the short-range interactions between the first neighbour molecules in lateral and normal direction with respect to the film plane. The binding energy Q of a lipid molecule in the foam bilayer has been estimated in Section 11.2. 

Foam film formation by three preparations used as surfactant replacement therapy by injection into the lungs in neonatal infants with surfactant insufficiency (RDS) has been 

Thus it is possible to estimate the time for surfactant adsorption required for the formation of black spots. Table 11.2 presents the clinical and threshold concentrations for total phospholipids (PL) and for disaturated phosphatidylcholine (DSPC) in each preparation. The most abundant PL of the lung surfactant system is DSPC, principally the DPPC species, which is believed the essential determinant of surfactant function in vivo [2], While DPPC is the only PL in EX, both IN and SU contain other PLs and small quantities of hydrophobic surfactant-associated proteins that may add to the desired functional properties of the material in situ. 

Clinical concentration, threshold concentration (C,) and concentration above C, of IN, EX and SU. 

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