PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Kathrin Schrödl
AU  - Katharina Jung
AU  - Rudolf Maria Huber
AU  - Fernando Gamarra
TI  - Mucociliary function in bronchial epithelium of COPD and non-COPD patients: In vitro assessment of the effects of fluid restriction
DP  - 2014 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - P3849
VI  - 44
IP  - Suppl 58
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P3849.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P3849.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2014 Sep 01; 44
AB  - Background:Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the most common chronic pulmonary disease in industrialized countries. We used an in vitro model to measure mucociliary function of COPD and non-COPD bronchial epithelium and assess the effects of dehydration of the mucus on mucociliary function.Methods:Bronchial epithelium of COPD and non-COPD patients was obtained and cultured in its own mucus. Bronchial epithelial Spheroids (BES) developed. BES rotate along their own axis due to beating cilia at their surface. Rotation frequency of BES was repeatedly measured during evaporation of the culture medium (corresponding to dehydration of the mucus) until the spheroids stopped their movement. Mucociliary transport velocity (MTV) at the surface of the BES was calculated. We looked for differences between the COPD and non-COPD BES.Results:We cultivated 30 BES in the COPD-group and 26 in the non-COPD group. The diameters of spheroids in both groups showed no significant differences (70±0.02 and 80±0.02µm, mean ±SD). MTV decreased during evaporation of the culture medium. MTV of COPD and non-COPD BES did not differ at the beginning of the measurements (3.32 vs. 2.75 mm/min. respectively; median) or at later times. The time for the BES to stop was also the same in both groups (58.25 vs. 62.00 minutes; median).Conclusion:In this model we could not detect any differences in mucociliary function of bronchial epithelium of COPD and non-COPD patients. Dehydration of the mucus leads to the same reduction and discontinuation of mucociliary function in both COPD and non-COPD epithelium.