Rationale: Surfactant protein D (SP-D) is a collectin family member with demonstrated immunomodulatory properties in vitro. We hypothesized that SP-D modulates inflammation during noninfectious lung injury in vivo.

Objectives: To investigate the association of alveolar SP-D and injury, we studied the responses of transgenic mice expressing varying levels of SP-D to intratracheal bleomycin (ITB).

Methods: Eight-week old C57/BL6 SP-D–deficient (−/−) mice and syngeneic wild-type (WT) controls or Swiss Black SP-D–overexpressing (SP-D OE) mice and littermate controls received either ITB or saline and were followed for up to 21 d.

Measurements and Results: Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated a dose-dependent decrease in survival in ITB SP-D (−/−) mice receiving 2 U/kg bleomycin, with a 14-d mortality of 100% versus 0% mortality for WT receiving 2 U/kg ITB or SP-D (−/−) mice given saline (p < 0.05). At 8 d, ITB SP-D (−/−) mice had greater respiratory distress (frequency/tidal volume) and weight loss than ITB WT mice. Furthermore, bronchoalveolar lavage cellularity, pulmonary parenchymal inflammation, and tissue 3-nitrotyrosine (NO₂ Y) were increased to a greater extent in ITB SP-D (−/−) mice. By 21 d, compared with all groups, ITB SP-D (−/−) survivors had increased Trichrome staining and tissue hydroxyproline levels. As proof of principle, SP-D OE mice were highly resistant to bleomycin-induced morbidity and mortality at doses up to 3 U/kg.

Conclusions: These data provide new in vivo evidence for an antiinflammatory role for SP-D in response to noninfectious, subacute lung injury via modulation of oxidative-nitrative stress.