Characterization of Oligomer Formation of Surfactant Protein-D (SP-D) Using AF4-MALLS.

BACKGROUND: Surfactant protein-S (SP-D) is a naturally occurring lung protein with the potential to treat pulmonary infections. A recombinant surfactant protein-D (SP-D) has been produced and was previously found to exist in multiple oligomeric states. INTRODUCTION: Separation and characterization of interconverting oligomeric states of a protein can be difficult using chromatographic methods, so an alternative separation technique was employed for SPD to characterize the different association states that exist. METHODS: Samples of SP-D were analyzed using asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) using UV and multi-angle laser light scattering (MALLS) detection. The AF4 method appears to be able to separate species as small as the monomer up to the dodecamer (the dominant species) to much larger species with a molar mass greater than 5 MDa. RESULTS: Consistent elution of four distinct peaks was observed after repeated injections. The largest species observed under the last peak (labeled as Peak 4) were termed "unstructured multimers" and were resolved fairly well from the other species. The AF4-MALLS data suggest that only a small fraction of Peak 4 truly corresponds to high molar mass unstructured multimers. All other peaks demonstrated significant molar mass homogeneity consistent with AFM results. CONCLUSION: AF4-MALLS technology appears to be a powerful analytical approach to characterize the complex and dynamic interplay among different protein oligomeric species of SP-D in an aqueous solution.

Full-Length Recombinant hSP-D Binds and Inhibits SARS-CoV-2.

SARS-CoV-2 infection of host cells is driven by binding of the SARS-CoV-2 spike-(S)-protein to lung type II pneumocytes, followed by virus replication. Surfactant protein SP-D, member of the front-line immune defense of the lungs, binds glycosylated structures on invading pathogens such as viruses to induce their clearance from the lungs. The objective of this study is to measure the pulmonary SP-D levels in COVID-19 patients and demonstrate the activity of SP-D against SARS-CoV-2, opening the possibility of using SP-D as potential therapy for COVID-19 patients. Pulmonary SP-D concentrations were measured in bronchoalveolar lavage samples from patients with corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by anti-SP-D ELISA. Binding assays were performed by ELISAs. Protein bridge and aggregation assays were performed by gel electrophoresis followed by silver staining and band densitometry. Viral replication was evaluated in vitro using epithelial Caco-2 cells. Results indicate that COVID-19 patients (n = 12) show decreased pulmonary levels of SP-D (median = 68.9 ng/mL) when compared to levels reported for healthy controls in literature. Binding assays demonstrate that SP-D binds the SARS-CoV-2 glycosylated spike-(S)-protein of different emerging clinical variants. Binding induces the formation of protein bridges, the critical step of viral aggregation to facilitate its clearance. SP-D inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication in Caco-2 cells (EC90 = 3.7 µg/mL). Therefore, SP-D recognizes and binds to the spike-(S)-protein of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro, initiates the aggregation, and inhibits viral replication in cells. Combined with the low levels of SP-D observed in COVID-19 patients, these results suggest that SP-D is important in the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 and that rhSP-D supplementation has the potential to be a novel class of anti-viral that will target SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Evaluation of recombinant human SP-D in the rat premature lung model.

BACKGROUND: The lungs of premature and term babies are structurally different from the adult lungs. Preterm lungs are underdeveloped, non-compliant in terms of breathing, often need mechanical ventilation and these patients commonly develop syndromes as a consequence of their prematurity, such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Surfactant protein SP-D could be a therapy for BPD. However, there is a need for an animal model that resembles the structural characteristics of premature lungs to test SP-D and future molecules that will target the newborn population. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a pre-clinical model of early alveolarization and structurally premature lungs in 10-day-old rats, and establish the dose safety and distribution of rhSP-D administered intratracheally to premature lungs. METHODS: Ten-day-old Sprague Dawley rats were selected to develop the lung model. SP-D was administered intratracheally. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lungs were collected to evaluate inflammation and SP-D distribution. RESULTS: The 10-day-old rat pup demonstrates early alveolarization features of premature lung development and it tolerates daily intratracheal injections for up to 14 days. The intratracheal administration of rhSP-D, at a dose of 8 mg/kg, does not induce an inflammatory response or histological signs of toxicity in the premature lung, even with a daily administration for 14 days. The pharmacokinetic distribution of rhSP-D in premature lungs has a half-life of ∼9 h, and the incorporation into blood is minimal. CONCLUSIONS: 10-day-old rats are a good pre-clinical animal model of premature lungs, and rhSP-D can be intratracheally administered at doses up to 8 mg/kg without expecting adverse reactions.

Aspiration and Inspiration: Using Bronchoalveolar Lavage for Toxicity Assessment.

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a simple procedure that is used to investigate drug efficacy or lung toxicity. It is sensitive to lung changes and less invasive than histological evaluation. It can be performed repeatedly at interim time points or as a terminal procedure. Airborne contaminants and purposely inhaled compounds, resident and inflammatory cells, as well as different cellular soluble products can be harvested in bronchoalveolar fluid (BALF) and measured. Bronchoalveolar lavage can also be an important tool to understand drug exposure and its metabolism in the lung, although it should be rigorously performed and interpreted with caution, especially in the context of regulated toxicology studies. This review focuses on the methods and uses of BAL in animal research, primarily in the pharmaceutical industry, as well as for the assessment of drugs, pollutants, and chemical lung toxicity. Methods of collecting and analyzing BALF and parameters affecting variability are discussed in detail. Improved automated methods for cell counting and analysis of the inflammatory cellular differential using hematology analyzers, common markers of lung injury, and new methodologies are described. Correlation between BALF and histological evaluation should not be considered as repetitive but as complementary assessments in the context of efficacy and toxicity studies.

Pulmonary surfactant surface tension influences alveolar capillary shape and oxygenation.

Alveolar capillaries are located in close proximity to the alveolar epithelium and beneath the surfactant film. We hypothesized that the shape of alveolar capillaries and accompanying oxygenation are influenced by surfactant surface tension in the alveolus. To prove our hypothesis, surfactant surface tension was regulated by conditional expression of surfactant protein (SP)-B in Sftpb(-/-) mice, thereby inhibiting surface tension-lowering properties of surfactant in vivo within 24 hours after depletion of Sftpb. Minimum surface tension of isolated surfactant was increased and oxygen saturation was significantly reduced after 2 days of SP-B deficiency in association with deformation of alveolar capillaries. Intravascularly injected 3.2-mum-diameter microbeads through jugular vein were retained within narrowed pulmonary capillaries after reduction of SP-B. Ultrastructure studies demonstrated that the capillary protrusion typical of the normal alveolar-capillary unit was reduced in size, consistent with altered pulmonary blood flow. Pulmonary hypertension and intrapulmonary shunting are commonly associated with surfactant deficiency and dysfunction in neonates and adults with respiratory distress syndromes. Increased surfactant surface tension caused by reduction in SP-B induced narrowing of alveolar capillaries and oxygen desaturation, demonstrating an important role of surface tension-lowering properties of surfactant in the regulation of pulmonary vascular perfusion.