Distribution of surfactants in the canine gastrointestinal tract and their ability to lubricate.

Surface-active phospholipids, chemically similar to pulmonary surfactants, have been identified by thin-layer chromatography in gastric juice and on the mucosal lining of five tissues along the canine gastrointestinal tract. These included esophagus, oxyntic tissue, midduodenum, midjenunum, and midcolon. The mucosal phospholipid composition did not change appreciably along the length of the gastrointestinal tract, with the most prominent species being phosphatidylcholine (PC) (34-45%) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) (18-32%). The gastrointestinal mucosal surface also contained lesser amounts (5-10% each) of sphingomyelin (Sp), lysophosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol (PI), and phosphatidylserine (PS) and small but detectable quantities of phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and phosphatidic acid. Both the lipid extracts of all six gastrointestinal sources as well as commercially available phospholipids identified in these samples (PC, Sp, PE, PI, PS, and PG) proved to be good boundary lubricants. Each reduced the coefficient of friction by greater than 75% between glass and carboxylated yarn when tested by a standard method for evaluating textile "sizes." The results are discussed in relation to the possible role of the surface-active molecules in imparting properties conducive to lubrication and acid protection onto the gastrointestinal epithelium.