Pulmonary surfactants in pulmonary oedema induced by head injury in mice.

A study has been carried out to examine the role of pulmonary surfactants in pulmonary oedema induced by head injury. Pulmonary oedema was induced by head injury in mice by the method of Mackay (5). There was no change in surface tension as well as total phospholipid concentration of the lung between control and test groups suggesting that there was no involvement of lung surfactant sytem in pulmonary oedema induced by head injury. Since the animals in the test group died within a few minutes, possibly there may not have been sufficient time for alteration of lung surfactant system.