Normally a thin layer of mucus covers the surface of the gastrointestinal tract protecting the epithelial cells from their environment. In cystic fibrosis (CF), mucus accumulation is abnormally high, resulting in severe intestinal obstruction. The major structural components of mucus are large mucin glycoproteins. We determined specific mucin RNA and protein expression in the gastrointestinal t...

Comparative studies on the distribution of archaeal versus bacterial communities associated with the surface mucus layer of corals have rarely taken place. It has therefore remained enigmatic whether mucus-associated archaeal and bacterial communities exhibit a similar specificity towards coral hosts and whether they vary in the same fashion over spatial gradients and between reef locations. We...

AIM To demonstrate that specific bacteria might release bacterial extracellular DNA (eDNA) to exert immunomodulatory functions in the mouse small intestine. METHODS Extracellular DNA was extracted using phosphate buffered saline with 0.5 mmol/L dithiothreitol combined with two phenol extractions. TOTO-1 iodide, a cell-impermeant and high-affinity nucleic acid stain, was used to confirm the ex...

IMPROVES LUNG FUNCTION AND INCREASES OPENING OF THE AIRWAYS [3] [10]  Reduction in mucosal swelling  Higher lung air flow results demonstrated LUNG CILIA STIMULATED TO HELP MOVE MUCUS OUT  Increases the ability to clear mucus due to high osmosis of salt on the airway surface [4]  Inhalation of increased salt solution concentrations recommended for Cystic Fibrosis to improve mucous clearance...

In the search for effective drugs against influenza, screening against viral neuraminidases (NAs) is a common strategy. However, this ignores the actual physical environment where the drugs function, immersed in a thick mucus barrier at the surface of the host’s cells which the virus must penetrate to get to the cell. Godula and coworkers have taken on this challenge with a distinctly innovativ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Sevoflurane has been shown to distinctly reduce bronchial mucus transport velocity, an essential determinant of mucociliary clearance and pulmonary complications. However, sevoflurane is regarded as one of the least irritant volatile anaesthetics, especially when compared with desflurane. Hence, the aim of this double-blind, randomized, controlled trial was to assess di...

Biological functional entities surround themselves with selective barriers that control the passage of certain classes of macromolecules while rejecting others. A prominent example of such a selective permeability barrier is given by mucus. Mucus is a biopolymer-based hydrogel that lines all wet epithelial surfaces of the human body. It regulates the uptake of nutrients from our gastrointestina...

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common lethal inherited disorder in Caucasians. It is caused by mutation of the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. A defect in the CFTR ion channel causes a dramatic change in the composition of the airway surface fluid, leading to a highly viscous mucus layer. In healthy individuals, the majority of bacteria trapped in the mucus layer are remov...