A functional anatomic defect of the cystic fibrosis airway.

Rationale: The mechanisms underlying cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease pathogenesis are unknown.

Objectives: To establish mechanisms linking anion transport with the functional microanatomy, we evaluated normal and CF piglet trachea as well as adult swine trachea in the presence of selective anion inhibitors.

Methods: We investigated airway functional microanatomy using microoptical coherence tomography, a new imaging modality that concurrently quantifies multiple functional parameters of airway epithelium in a colocalized fashion.

Method for quantitative study of airway functional microanatomy using micro-optical coherence tomography.

We demonstrate the use of a high resolution form of optical coherence tomography, termed micro-OCT (μOCT), for investigating the functional microanatomy of airway epithelia. μOCT captures several key parameters governing the function of the airway surface (airway surface liquid depth, periciliary liquid depth, ciliary function including beat frequency, and mucociliary transport rate) from the same series of images and without exogenous particles or labels, enabling non-invasive study of dynamic phenomena. Additionally, the high resolution of μOCT reveals distinguishable phases of the ciliary stroke pattern and glandular extrusion.