| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
Guest Access | Sign In via User Name/Password
|
|
|
|||||||
Guest Access | Sign In via User Name/Password |
|||||||||
1 From the GSF Research Centre for Environment & Health, Munich, Germany
2 From the Pulmonary Research Group, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta; the Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec
Impaired mucociliary function following lung transplantation has been reported in several human and animal studies. This could be a result of altered ciliary function or mucus properties or both. We assessed airway epithelial function by means of transepithelial potential difference (PD) measurements and physical analysis of mucus. Six mongrel dogs underwent single lung autologous transplantation. Measurements were performed preoperatively and 1, 2, 4, and 10 months postoperatively. At 1 and 2 months postoperatively, there was a significant fall in PD for the transplanted, left mainstem bronchus only (
13.5±1.7 mV at 1 month and 14.6±1.7 mV at 2 month postoperatively vs 18.6±2.3 mV preoperatively, baseline; p<0.001 for both). The PD values in the small airways, right mainstem bronchus, and the trachea remained unchanged. At 2 months postoperation, the mucus collection rate on the left side was increased (p=0.03), while the mucus viscoelasticity was decreased (p=0.04). By 4 months postoperation, all epithelial parameters had returned to baseline, and there was no difference in radioaerosol clearance between the two lungs. The PD decrease and alterations in secretion rate and viscoelasticity reflect disturbed epithelial functional integrity at the site of anastomosis still present at 2 months postoperation. Recovery of bronchial epithelial function and clearance in canine studies of lung autotransplantation after healing of the anastomosis area suggest that persistent impairment of lung clearance observed in some long-term human lung transplantation survivors may be due to other mechanisms such as impaired healing or epithelial function or both, during immunosuppressive therapy. Mucociliary function in the anastomosis area is compromised until complete healing ensues; we speculate that chest physiotherapy may aid in overcoming this obstacle.
Key Words: lung clearance • lung transplantation • mucus rheology
Submitted on December 22, 1993
Accepted on May 12, 1994
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  E. Cantu III, J. Z. Appel III, M. G. Hartwig, H. Woreta, C. Green, R. Messier, S. M. Palmer, and R. D. Davis Jr Early Fundoplication Prevents Chronic Allograft Dysfunction in Patients with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Ann. Thorac. Surg., October 1, 2004; 78(4): 1142 - 1151. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R. D. Davis Jr, C. L. Lau, S. Eubanks, R. H. Messier, D. Hadjiliadis, M. P. Steele, and S. M. Palmer Improved lung allograft function after fundoplication in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease undergoing lung transplantation J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., March 1, 2003; 125(3): 533 - 542. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. H. R. F. Rivero, G. Lorenzi-Filho, R. Pazetti, F. B. Jatene, and P. H. N. Saldiva Effects of Bronchial Transection and Reanastomosis on Mucociliary System Chest, May 1, 2001; 119(5): 1510 - 1515. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. H Khan, S. B Rahman, D. B McElhinney, A. L Harmon, J. P Anthony, T. S Hall, D. M Jablons, J. H Khan, S. B Rahman, D. B McElhinney, et al. Management Strategies for Complex Bronchopleural Fistula Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann, March 1, 2000; 8(1): 78 - 84. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
