Regulation of depth and composition of airway surface liquid

  • J. H. Widdicombe (Children′s Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Physiology, University of California San Francisco) ;
  • S. J. Bastacky (Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California) ;
  • D. X.Y. Wu (Children′s Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Cardiovascular Research Institute) ;
  • Lee, C. Y. (Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California)
  • Published : 1996.04.01

Abstract

We review the factors which regulate the depth and composition of the human airway surface liquid (ASL). These include secretion from airway submucosal glands, ion and fluid transport across the surface epithelium, goblet cell discharge, surface tension and transepithelial gradients in osmotic and hydrostatic pressure. We describe recent experiments in which we have used low temperature scanning electron microscopy of rapidly frozen specimens to detect changes in depth of ASL in response to submucosal gland stimulation. We also present preliminary data in which X-ray microanalysis of frozen specimens has been used to determine the elemental composition of ASL.

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