Osmotic pressure of mucus and its relevance for healthy lungs

Vous êtes cordialement invités à la conférence de Philippe LORCHAT, Cystic Fibrosis Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA, organisé par l'Institut Charles Sadron.

Résumé :
In mammalian airways, epithelial cells are protected from pathogens by a mucus gel barrier covering the periciliary layer1 (PCL). The mucociliary clearance (MCC) process driven by cilia that removes mucus from the lungs is impaired in mucoobstructive diseases2. Increased osmotic pressure of hyperconcentrated mucus collapses the PCL1,3.  Despite its pathological importance, the dependence of mucus osmotic pressure on concentration remains poorly understood. By sizefractionating the constituents of Human Bronchial Epithelial (HBE) mucus and quantifying their contributions to osmotic pressure, we shed some light on the molecules responsible for the collapse of the PCL that leads to mucociliary clearance failure. Further evidence supporting our claim was obtained by dual fluorescence confocal microscopy.

Les personnes souhaitant rencontrer Philippe Lorchat sont priées de prendre contact avec Michel Rawiso (tel. 03 88 41 40
94 ou mail : michel.rawiso@ics-cnrs.unistra.fr)