The Effectiveness of Delivering Pulmonary Surfactant by Nanoparticles

The purpose of this study was to test the effect of introducing nanoparticles into DPPC surfactant to, in theory, treat Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS). The problem statement is How do gold and silver nanoparticles affect DPPC surfactant? . The null hypothesis states that the pulmonary surfactant will not be able to enter the nanoparticles, thus not affecting the viscosity or absorption measurements. The alternative hypothesis states that the pulmonary surfactant will be able to enter the nanoparticles, thus affecting the viscosity and absorption measurements. DPPC surfactant is used in surfactant replacement therapy for RDS. Respiratory Distress Syndrome happens, most often in preterm infants, when the lungs do not produce enough surfactant. This study uses a timer to find viscosity and a spectrophotometer to quantitatively conclude that nanoparticles are getting into the surfactant