An Organ Culture Study of the Effect of Drugs on the Secretory Activity of the Human Bronchial Submucosal Gland

Abstract

S U M M A R Y1. The incorporation of tritiated glucose into bronchial gland cells enables their glycoprotein secretion to be followed by radioautography. The number of cells from which secretion is observed after 4 h of cell culture is the secretory index.2. Large variations in secretory index were observed between the bronchi of different subjects, but the secretory index was proportional to gland size.3. The secretory index was increased by parasympathomimetic drugs and diminished by parasympatholytic drugs, the magnitude of the effect being proportional to gland size in the former and inversely proportional in the latter case.4. Sympathomimetic drugs, bradykinin and mucolytic drugs had no effect on the secretory index.5. In cystic fibrosis, bronchitis and bronchiectasis gland size and not the disease process was the main determinant of the secretory index.

Radioimmunoassay of human intestinal goblet cell mucin. Investigation of mucus from different organs and species.

“…The RIA would therefore be applicable to intestinal biopsies or organ cultures. Because we have until this time had to rely mainly upon morphological examination of goblet cells to identify conditions of goblet cell hyperplasia or depletion (34,35), the RIA may be useful in adding precision to studies of mucus in human disease.…”

Evidence for non‐cholinergic, non‐adrenergic nervous control of mucus secretion into the cat trachea.

“…Animals that have recently had respiratory tract infections display mucous gland hypertrophy (Jones, Baskerville & Reid, 1975), and human bronchi with hypertrophied glands have different sensitivities to acetylcholine stimulation and atropine block (Sturgess & Reid, 1972). It is likely that hypertrophied glands undergo a change in the nature or number of end-organ receptors, and that this alters their response to neurotransmitters.…”

Immunologic and Neuropharmacologic Stimulation of Mucous Glycoprotein Release from Human Airways In Vitro

“…Submucous glands are richly innervated with parasympathetic fibers (20). Other studies, including several of human lung airways in vitro (7,8), have demonstrated that parasympathetic stimulation increases mucous glycoprotein secretion. The cholinergic agonist, methacholine (100 /.M), added in period II caused a 62% increase (n = 10,P < 0.001) above control (Fig.…”