OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study were to determine the bronchial mucus transport velocities in ventilated ICU patients and to study the possible role of impaired mucus transport in the development of retention of secretion and pneumonia. DESIGN The patients were studied prospectively in a convenience sample trial. SETTING The study took place at a university hospital. PATIENTS Thir...

Mucociliary tracheal transport rates were measured in 20 patients with cystic fibrosis, in whom these rates ranged from 0 to 12.8 mm/min. The patients were divided into 3 roughly equal groups on the basis of their transport rates. (1) Those in whom no abnormality in mucociliary transport was detected in the trachea; (2) those in whom normal transport rates were measured but in whom abnormalitie...

Neutrophil elastase is a mediator common to asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cystic fibrosis and thought to contribute to the pathophysiology of these diseases. Previously, we found that inhaled hyaluronan blocked elastase-induced bronchoconstriction in allergic sheep through its control of tissue kallikrein. Here, we extend those studies by determining if inhaled hyaluronan c...

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...

Airway mucus is a complex airway secretion whose primary function as part of the mucociliary transport mechanism is to to serve as renewable and transportable barrier against inhaled particulates and toxic agents. The rheologic properties necessary for this function are imparted by glycoproteins, or mucins. Some respiratory disease states, e.g., asthma, cystic fibrosis, and bronchitis, are char...

OBJECTIVE To investigate differences in mucociliary clearance, histologic characteristics, and surface structure of the bilateral nasal septal mucosa in patients with nasal septal deviation. DESIGN Mucociliary transport was measured by saccharin clearance time in both nasal cavities of 20 patients with nasal septal deviation. Their septal mucosae were taken during septoplasty, and the ciliary...

Background: Firefighters are often exposed to high temperatures and by-products of combustion, which can compromise their health. We aimed evaluate the effect fire exposure in simulators on airways firefighters at different time-points. Methodology: Thirty-seven male were evaluated three phases: pre-exposure, end first week, 4 weeks after. Pulmonary function by spirometry, nasal mucociliary cle...

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...

Transport of protein across the alveolar epithelial barrier is a critical process in recovery from pulmonary edema and is also important in maintaining the alveolar milieu in the normal healthy lung. Various mechanisms have been proposed for clearing alveolar protein, including transport by the mucociliary escalator, intra-alveolar degradation, or phagocytosis by macrophages. However, the most ...