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Review
. 2007 Sep-Oct;73(5):704-12.
doi: 10.1016/s1808-8694(15)30133-6.

Methods for studying mucociliary transport

Sergio Henrique Kiemle Trindade  1 , João Ferreira de Mello Jr, Olavo de Godoy Mion, Geraldo Lorenzi-Filho, Mariângela Macchione, Eliane Tigre Guimarães, Paulo Hilário Nascimento Saldiva
Affiliations
Review

Methods for studying mucociliary transport

Sergio Henrique Kiemle Trindade et al. Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2007 Sep-Oct.

Abstract

Mucociliary transport dysfunctions can impair the quality of life of patients suffering from chronic rhinossinusitis and lead to severe consequences such as alterations in respiratory physiology or even death as in cases of cystic fibrosis and primary ciliary dyskinesia. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the physiology of the mucociliary apparatus and how its components (cilia, mucus-periciliary layer and its interaction) affect the clearance of respiratory secretions.

Aims: This paper aims to review and to discuss different techniques for studying mucociliary transport and their clinical and experimental applicability.

Conclusions: The methods listed in this revision provide us with valuable information about different aspects of the mucociliary transport. Some of the methods listed are more suitable for clinical practice and present reproducible results. Others, show only applicability in experimental settings due to technical difficulties or financial limitations. However, it is important to emphasize that up to now there is no method that can evaluate ciliary beating frequency (CBF) in vivo and in situ. Such a method would become a valuable tool in the scientific scenario and in the clinical practice, supporting the diagnosis of ciliary dyskinesias and avoiding the use of invasive procedures to corroborate the clinical suspicion.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic drawing of the magnetic microrheometer. 1) Light source, 2) Thoroid, 3) Specimen holder, 4) Microscope lens, 5) Set of mirrors, 6) Pair of photocells, 9) Amplifier, 13) Oscilloscope, 14) Microcomputer, 15) Moving steel microsphere. Source: Nakagawa et al., 2000.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Schematic representation of the contact angle measurement. 1) Magnifying glass coupled to the goniometer, 2) Light source, 3) Acrylic chamber, 4) Cleft platform, 5) Water reservoir, 6) Contact angle measurement representation. Source: Nakagawa et al., 2000.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Schematic representation of the frog palate setup: 1) Magnifying glass, 2) Light source, 3) Frog palate support, 4) Ultrasonic nebulizer, 5) Acrylic chamber, 6) Frog palate vision under mashed lens. Source: Nakagawa et al., 2000.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Schematic representation of the cough and sneezing simulator: 1) Compressed air reservoir, 2) Solenoid valve, 3) Solenoid valve controller, 4) Graded ruler, 5) Acrylic cylinder. Source: Nakagawa et al., 2000.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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