Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a genetic condition affecting one in 10 000–40 000 people from birth [1]; cilia fail to beat, and the airway clearance of mucus and debris is severely impaired. If untreated, this results in progressive lung infection leading to bronchiectasis and ultimately respiratory failure. Additionally, delayed diagnosis has implications for genetic counselling, appropr...

BACKGROUND In any fine sensory organelle, a small influx of Ca(2+) can quickly elevate cytoplasmic Ca(2+). Mechanisms must exist to clear the ciliary Ca(2+) before it reaches toxic levels. One such organelle has been well studied: the vertebrate olfactory cilium. Recent studies have suggested that clearance from the olfactory cilium is mediated in part by plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase (PMCA). ...

To examine the effect of adenosine A(3) receptor stimulation on airway mucociliary clearance, we measured transport of Evans blue dye in rabbit trachea in vivo and ciliary motility of epithelium by the photoelectric method in vitro. Mucociliary transport was enhanced dose dependently by the selective A(3) agonist N(6)-(3-iodobenzyl)-5'-N-methylcarbamoyladenosine (IB-MECA) and to a lesser extent...

Patients with chronic bronchial sepsis have impaired mucociliary clearance. A study was carried out on the effect of sputum sol (obtained by rapid centrifugation of purulent sputum) from 20 patients with chronic bronchial sepsis on the beating of human nasal cilia in vitro by a photometric technique. Thirteen sols caused significant (p less than 0.001) ciliary slowing. Two patterns of slowing w...

In the present study, the lenses and ciliary bodies of 20 ostrich eyes were studied macroscopically and microscopically. The histological slides were studied after staining by hematoxylin and eosin, Verhoeff, Van Gieson, and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS). Posterior surface of lens was more convex than its anterior surface. The average lens diameter and thickness were respectively measured as 1.43 ...

The role of persistent and recurrent bacterial infection of the conducting airways (endobronchial infection) in the causation of chronic respiratory symptoms, particularly chronic wet cough, has received very little attention over recent decades other than in the context of cystic fibrosis (CF). This is probably related (at least in part) to the (a) reduction in non-CF bronchiectasis in affluen...

Clearance of the airway is dependent on directional mucus flow across mucociliary epithelium, and deficient implicated in a range human disorders. Efficient relies proper polarization multiciliated cells sufficient ciliary beat frequency. We show that NO, produced by nNOS mouse trachea, controls both planar polarity frequency thereby necessary for generation robust flow. The effect ciliated its...

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is characterized by the congenital impairment of mucociliary clearance. When accompanied by situs inversus, chronic sinusitis and bronchiectasis, PCD is known as Kartagener syndrome. The main consequence of impaired ciliary function is a reduced mucus clearance from the lungs, and susceptibility to chronic respiratory infections due to opportunistic pathogens, i...

We report on a diastereoselective synthesis of six derivatives of caffeoyl- and feruloyl-muco-quinic acids. All the muco-quinic acid derivatives were obtained in excellent yield in five steps starting from quinic acid, caffeic acid and ferulic acid. Allyl ether protection of trans-hydroxy cinnamic acids was here introduced to chlorogenic acids synthesis. We show that muco-quinic acid derivative...