Galactomannan and Zymosan Block the Epinephrine-Induced Particle Transport in Tracheal Epithelium.

Background: Ciliary beating by respiratory epithelial cells continuously purges pathogens from the lower airways. Here we investigated the effect of the fungal cell wall polysaccharides Galactomannan (GM) and Zymosan (Zym) on the adrenergic activated particle transport velocity (PTV) of tracheal epithelium.

Methods: Experiments were performed using tracheae isolated from male C57BL/6J mice.

Tumor necrosis factor alpha induces a serotonin dependent early increase in ciliary beat frequency and epithelial transport velocity in murine tracheae.

The tracheal epithelium prevents via its highly effective clearance mechanism the contamination of the lower airways by pathogens. This mechanism is driven by ciliary bearing cells which are not only in contact with the gas phase; in addition they are also influenced by inflammatory mediators. These mediators can alter the protective function of the epithelium.