The interaction of glycophorin with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine at the air—water interface

Interactions between hematological derivatives and dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl choline: implications for adult respiratory distress syndrome

Blood and its components flood the alveoli in adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and may be responsible for the inhibition of lung surfactant in this syndrome. We have evaluated the surface properties of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) monolayers-the main component of lung surfactant, in the presence of blood and its components. Experiments were performed using a Langmuir-Blodgett trough at physiological temperature (37 degrees C), pH 7.0 and using 0.9% saline as the sub-phase. Whole blood (WB), membranes obtained from whole blood cells (Mem), lysed blood (LB), homogenized blood clot (CLOT), serum (SER), platelet rich plasma (PRP), platelet poor plasma (PPP) and individual plasma proteins (albumin, fibrinogen) were added to the sub-phase in the equivalent proportion of 10 parts of DPPC per million parts (w/v) of hematological inhibitor. Cell membranes were found to be the most inhibitory agent for DPPC surface activity as evidenced by an increase in the minimum surface tension (from 0.818 +/- 0.219 to 7.373 +/- 0.854 mN/m) and percentage area change required to reduce the surface tension from 30 to 10 mN/m (from 21.24 +/- 0.99 to 66.83 +/- 4.44). The inhibitory potential of pure plasma proteins differed from those of more complex blood derivatives like platelet rich plasma and serum. Whole blood and platelet poor plasma were non-inhibitory, but serum, platelet rich plasma and clot significantly increased the minimum surface tension of DPPC to 6.819 +/- 0.925, 6.625 +/- 2.261 and 6.060 +/- 0.640 mN/m, respectively. These results were statistically significant with one-way analysis of variance and Newman-Keul's test (P < 0.05). The present study suggests that, not only the presence of the individual blood component(s) in the lung alveoli but also their interactions decide their inhibitory capability. Pure plasma proteins are not representative of the inhibitory effects of blood derivatives like serum, platelet rich plasma and blood cell membranes which would be more relevant for inhibitory models of ARDS.

The thermal behaviour of phosphatidylcholine-glycophorin monolayers in relation to monolayer and bilayer internal pressure

A thermodynamic relationship which allows calculation of the internal pressure (Pi) of a monolayer has been derived, viz: Pi = T(delta pi/delta T)A-pi. Surface pressure (pi)-area (A) isotherms were determined for dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC), dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and a mixture of the latter with 0.28 mol% glycophorin, an intrinsic membrane protein. The isotherms (10 degrees C-42 degrees C) were used to obtain values of (delta pi/delta T)A. Under conditions in which a monolayer is believed to most closely model a bilayer membrane (i.e. 37 degrees C and A = 0.6 nm2/molecule) internal pressures were: DOPC = 0.32 N m-1; DPPC = 0.13 N m-1 and glycophorin/DPPC = 0.36 N m-1. The results do not support some measurements on amphiphile solubility in natural membranes which had been interpreted as evidence of a large increase in internal pressure, due to the intrinsic membrane proteins.

The interaction of liposomes containing intrinsic erythrocyte membrane proteins with lipid monolayers at air/water and oil/water interfaces

The main intrinsic membrane proteins of the human erythrocyte membrane, glycophorin and the anion transporter, were isolated by extraction with Triton X-100 and ion-exchange chromatography. After removal of detergent the extract consisted of proteolipid vesicles with a lipid:protein molar ratio in the range 50-60 and a diameter of the order of 200 nm. The interaction between these vesicles and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), cholesterol and cholesterol:DPPC (2:1 molar ratio) monolayers at air/water and n-decane/water interfaces has been studied. The vesicles interact with the monolayers, rapidly causing large increases in surface pressure. Limiting values of surface pressure, 39.4-43 mN . m-1 at air/water and 31.5-33.4 mN . m-1 at the n-decane/water interface, were reached at protein levels above 1 microgram . ml-1. At the air/water interface, and probably at the n-decane/water, surface pressure increases were limited by monolayer collapse. Compression isotherms and surface potential measurements indicated that material from the proteolipid vesicles entered the monolayer phase. In contrast to proteolipid vesicles, injection of protein-free liposomes beneath the monolayer resulted in smaller, slower increases in surface pressure. Thus, the presence of intrinsic membrane proteins in vesicles greatly facilitated the transfer of material into the lipid monolayer.