OBJECTIVE Advances in graft reepithelialization and revascularization have renewed interest in airway transplantation. This study aims to determine whether topically applied preservation solutions can ameliorate ischemic injury to tracheal grafts. We analyzed 1) the effects of cold ischemia on the mucociliary clearance of tracheal grafts and 2) the impact of topically applied preservation solut...

OBJECTIVE Infections have been and remain the major cause of morbidity and mortality after lung transplantation. Because mucociliary clearance plays an important role in human defense mechanisms, the influence of drugs on the mucociliary epithelium of patients undergoing lung transplantation must be examined. Prednisone is the most important corticosteroid used after lung transplantation. The a...

The epithelium of the respiratory tract forms a large surface area that maintains intimate contact with the environment. Through the act of breathing, this mucosal surface encounters an array of pathogens and toxic particulates. In response to these challenges many strategies have evolved to protect the host. These include the barrier functions of the epithelium, cough, mucociliary clearance, r...

To gain insight into the role of epithelial ion channels, pumps, and cotransporters in regulating airway water and mucociliary transport, we administered inhibitors of the Na+ channel (amiloride), 3Na-2K-adenosinetriphosphatase (acetylstrophanthidin), and Na-K-2Cl cotransporter (furosemide) to anesthetized dogs and/or baboons. Tracheal ciliary beat frequency was measured by using heterodyne las...

Mucociliary clearance is a main defense mechanism of the respiratory tract, which can be inherently impaired in primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) or reversibly altered in secondary ciliary dyskinesia (SCD). Limited diagnostic test availability likely leads to misdiagnosis or underdiagnosis of PCD in animals. This study evaluated the light and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) changes in the...

Respiratory tract mucus is a viscoelastic gel, the rheological properties of which are determined mainly by its content of mucous glycoproteins and water. The rheology and quantity of mucus, in concert with ciliary factors, are the major determinants of mucociliary clearance. A wide range of animal models for studying the secretion and clearance of mucus are available. Ex vivo models, such as t...

The health of the human respiratory system depends critically on airway clearance via motile hair-like structures (cilia), which transport and eliminate unwanted particles trapped within mucus. Impairment of mucociliary clearance (MCC) can lead to lifethreatening airway narrowing and lung infections, and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with cystic fibrosis, primary cilia...

BACKGROUND The airway surface liquid (ASL), which is a fluid layer coating the interior epithelial surface of the bronchi and bronchiolesis, plays an important defensive role against foreign particles and chemicals entering lungs. OBJECTIVE Numerical investigation has been employed to solve two-layer model consisting of mucus layer as a viscoelastic fluid and periciliary liquid layer as a Newt...

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare genetic disease that affects the motility of cilia, leading to impaired mucociliary clearance. It is estimated that the vast majority of patients with PCD have not been diagnosed as such, providing a major obstacle to delivering appropriate care. Challenges in diagnosing PCD include lack of disease-specific symptoms and absence of a single, "gold stand...