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Surfactant catabolism
Author(s) -
IKEGAMI Machiko
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
respirology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1440-1843
pISSN - 1323-7799
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1843.2006.00803.x
Subject(s) - pulmonary surfactant , catabolism , homeostasis , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , lung , biophysics , biochemistry , chemistry , metabolism , biology
Alveolar pulmonary surfactant is a complex of macromolecular aggregates composed of phospholipids and surfactant proteins (SP) that is essential for maintenance of normal lung function. The importance of surfactant homeostasis is recognized in the patients and the animal models with pulmonary disease, although the mechanisms of surfactant homeostasis are not fully understood. In this review the author will discuss: (i) the mechanisms of the surfactant catabolism by macrophage and type II cells; and (ii) the important role of SP‐D on ultrastructure of surfactant that affects uptake by type II cells.