On the Transport of Mucus and Its Rheologic Simulants in Ciliated Systems1,2

Although mucins arise from a wide variety of sources and perform an equally wide variety of physiologic functions, a great deal of similarity in the physical and chemical natures of mucins has been observed. As an example, in the transport of particulate matter by frog palate epithelia, mucus from a number of sources can perform the same biorheologic role. A number of studies have shown biochemical similarities among mucus samples from various sources. Thus, it has been supposed that there is chemical specificity in the physiologic role of mucus; however, the present study showed that a number of materials chemically dissimilar to mucus were also capable of performing its transport function in the frog palate system. It was concluded that there is no chemical specificity in the transport role of frog epithelial mucus. On the other hand, it appears that there is a rheologic requirement for mucociliary transport satisfied by macromolecular systems possessing a slight degree of crosslinking.