Biochemical modifications of pulmonary surfactant after bromhexine derivate injection.

The authors study the influence of bromhexine metabolite VIII on phospholipid and fatty acid composition comparatively to controls. The subcutaneous injection of NA 872 produces on pulmonary surfactant an increase of 43% of total phospholipids. This change in the distribution of phospholipids is shown by the increase of 53% of phosphatidylcholines. A rise of 61.9--74.4% of palmitic acid appears in the phosphatidylcholines of the pulmonary surfactant. It can be noticed that the specific activity of the phosphatidylcholines rises by 31%.