Effect of chronic sulfur dioxide inhalation on rheological properties of tracheal mucus

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Litt, M.^{a; *} | Khan, M.A.^a | Chakrin, L.W.^b | Sosnowski, G.^b | Wardell Jr., J.R.^b

Affiliations: [a] Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19174 | [b] Smith Kline Corporation, Smith Kline and French Laboratories, 1500 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19101

Correspondence: [*] To whom correspondence should be sent.

Abstract: The viscoelastic properties of tracheal mucus obtained from dogs equipped with a chronic tracheal pouch preparation were found to vary significantly during periods of exposure to sulfur dioxide inhalation. A biphasic response which apparently is due to variations in the ratio of high molecular weight glycoproteins to smaller serum-like proteins was observed. The response of the pouch mucosa to inhaled sulfur dioxide indicates that a neural or circulatory mechanism is probably involved, since the pouch is never directly exposed to the gas.

DOI: 10.3233/BIR-1976-13204

Journal: Biorheology, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 107-114, 1976