Zohre Eftekhari - Quality Control Department, Research and Production Complex, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran-Iran
Mohammd Reza Mokhber Dezfouli - Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran-Iran Institute of Biomedical Research, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Babak Beikzadeh - Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran-Iran. Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR), Tehran Organization, Tehran, Iran.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory reactions in pathophysiologic conditions of lung are a critical problem in the treatment process, which in some cases lead to death, particularly in neonate. Exogenous lung surfactant has been considered as a candidate to treatment of inflammation in the lungs. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to examine the efficacy of this substance in vivo and in vitro. METHODS: Calf lung surfactant extract (CLSE) was obtained from freshly slaughtered calves’ minced isolates. For in vivo study: the New Zealand white rabbits as appropriate animal model were treated with formulated CLSE, then peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were collected and the level and gene expression of IL-10, IL-6, IL-1β, IFN-γ and TGF-β were assessed before and after surfactant treatment for 30 days. In vitro study: four different formulated drug concentrations were added to rabbit PBMC and cytokines level and gene expression were evaluated. RESULTS: Our results indicate that IFN-γ and TGF-β increased at 24, 48 and 72 h which were statistically significant compared to baseline. While, IL-6 and IL-1β also started to decrease, IFN-γ and TGF-β increased due to surfactant therapy which reached its maximum expression after 7 days. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggested that CLSE could contribute in reducing pathology effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines by inducing regulatory response in lung which can be used as auxiliary and protective drug in respiratory diseases.

Calf lung surfactants extract, cytokines level, exogenous lung surfactant, regulatory response