Mucociliary clearance is one of the major lines of defense of the respiratory system. The mucus layer coating the pulmonary airways is moved along and out of the lung by the activity of motile cilia, thus expelling the particles trapped in it. Here we compare ex vivo measurements of a Newtonian flow induced by cilia beating (using micro-beads as tracers) and a mathematical model of this fluid f...

Cilia are hairlike organelles involved in both sensory functions and motility. We discuss the question of whether location chemical receptors on cilia provides an advantage terms sensitivity motile have a further advantage. Using simple advection-diffusion model, we compute capture rates diffusive molecules cilium. Because its geometry, non-motile cilium quiescent fluid has rate equivalent to c...

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare genetic autosomal recessive disease associated with defect in the ultrastructure of epithelial cilia. Currently, there no standard method for diagnosing PCD, so diagnosis based on clinical picture and results tests, such as DNA diagnostics, nasal nitric oxide measurements, beat frequency biopsy, ultrastructure, etc. Diagnosis PCD can be difficult due t...

The cyclic peptide Melanin Concentrating Hormone (MCH) is known to control a large number of brain functions in mammals such as food intake and metabolism, stress response, anxiety, sleep/wake cycle, memory, and reward. Based on neuro-anatomical and electrophysiological studies these functions were attributed to neuronal circuits expressing MCHR1, the single MCH receptor in rodents. In compleme...

Pseudomonas aeruginosa culture filtrates varied in their ability to slow human ciliary beat frequency (7-71%). This activity did not correlate with known virulence factors. However, a close correlation (r = 0.97) existed between ciliary slowing and pigment content. In a prolonged culture, the increase in activity correlated (r = 0.94) with pigment accumulation. Gel filtration of lyophilized fil...

For all motile eukaryotic cilia and flagella, beating is regulated by changes in intraciliary calcium concentration. Although the mechanism for calcium regulation is not understood, numerous studies have shown that calmodulin (CaM) is a key axonemal calcium sensor. Using anti-CaM antibodies and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii axonemal extracts, we precipitated a complex that includes four polypeptide...

Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis remains a disease with a poor outcome for the patient. A region of the brain that has been neglected in the study of meningitis is the ependyma, which has been identified as a location of adult pluripotent cells. In this study we have used a rat model of meningitis to examine whether the ependymal layer is affected by S. pneumoniae. The effects included local...

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is an inherited condition characterised by functional and/or structural congenital abnormalities of cilia. Presentation is often in the neonatal period, but there are age-related differences in presentation, and diagnosis is often delayed. The usual clinical picture is of recurrent upper and lower respiratory symptoms (rhinitis, glue ear, recurrent cough and spu...

Many animal cells assemble single cilia involved in motile and/or sensory functions. In contrast, multiciliated cells (MCCs) assemble up to 300 motile cilia that beat in a coordinate fashion to generate a directional fluid flow. In the human airways, the brain, and the oviduct, MCCs allow mucus clearance, cerebrospinal fluid circulation, and egg transportation, respectively. Impairment of MCC f...

The use of electronic vapour products (EVPs) continues to increase worldwide and with advances in cell culture systems, molecular biology the computational sciences there is also accumulating evidence their potential reduced toxicity harm when compared cigarette smoke. To further understand risks health effects associated exposure EVP aerosols we have assessed cellular transcriptomic response f...