Role of Mucus in the Pulmonary Toxicology of Inhaled Pollutants
Public Deposited- Last Modified
- February 28, 2019
- Creator
-
Samet, James M.
- Affiliation: Gillings School of Global Public Health, Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering
- Abstract
- Lung mucus is a complex airway secretion whose primary function as part of the mucociliary clearance system is to serve as a renewable and transportable barrier against inhaled particulates and toxicants. The rheologic properties necessary for this function of mucus are imparted by glycoproteins, or mucins. Some respiratory disease states e.g., asthma, cystic fibrosis and bronchitis are characterized by quantitative and qualitative changes in mucus biosynthesis that contribute to pulmonary pathology. Similar alterations in various aspects of mucin biochemistry and biophysics, leading to altered mucus rheology and hypersecretion, result from inhalation of certain air pollutants such as SO2, O3, NO2 and cigarette smoke. The consequences of these pollutant-induced alterations in mucus biology are discussed in the context of pulmonary pathophysiology and toxicology.
- Date of publication
- January 1992
- DOI
- Resource type
- Rights statement
- In Copyright
- Advisor
- Ball, Louise
- Todd, Lori A.
- Devlin, Robert B.
- Degree
- Master of Public Health
- Academic concentration
- Environmental Engineering
- Degree granting institution
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Graduation year
- 1992
- Language
- Deposit record
- c2589085-57f7-4434-bf45-a2666ba162b9
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- Parents:
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