Mometasone Furoate Suppresses PMA-Induced MUC-5AC and MUC-2 Production in Human Airway Epithelial Cells

A comparison of three mucus-secreting airway cell lines (Calu-3, SPOC1 and UNCN3T) for use as biopharmaceutical models of the nose and lung

The aim of this work was to compare three existing mucus-secreting airway cell lines for use as models of the airways to study drug transport in the presence of mucus. Each cell line secreted mature, glycosylated mucins, evidenced by the enzyme-linked lectin assay. The secretagogue, adenylyl-imidodiphosphate, increased mucin secretion in SPOC1 (3.5-fold) and UNCN3T (1.5-fold) cells but not in Calu-3 cells. In a novel mucus-depleted (MD) model the amount of mucus in the non-depleted wells was 3-, 8- and 4-fold higher than in the mucus-depleted wells of the Calu-3, SPOC1 and UNCN3T cells respectively. The permeability of 'high mucus' cells to testosterone was significantly less in SPOC1 and UNCN3T cells (P < 0.05) but not Calu-3 cells. Mucin secretion and cytokine release were investigated as indicators of drug irritancy in the SPOC1 and UNCN3T cell lines. A number of inhaled drugs significantly increased mucin secretion at high concentrations and the release of IL-6 and IL-8 from SPOC1 or UNCN3T cells (P < 0.05). SPOC1 and UNCN3T cell lines are better able to model the effect of mucus on drug absorption than the Calu-3 cell line and are proposed for use in assessing drug-mucus interactions in inhaled drug and formulation development.

Pharyngeal Deposits Comprising Salivary Mucin in Tube-fed Elderly Patients: MUC2 and MUC7 Immunoreactivity

Several investigators have reported that oral membranous and pharyngeal viscous deposits developed in bedridden elderly persons requiring nursing care without oral intake. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the origin of viscous deposits on the pharyngeal mucosa based on characteristics of salivary and tracheal secretory mucin. The participants were 35 elderly people who required nursing care. All 46 collected specimens, including 30 intraoral and 16 pharyngeal specimens, were stained against specific mucins secreted from the respiratory tract and saliva gland using antibodies anti-MUC2 and anti-MUC7, respectively. Out of 35 participants, the intraoral membranous deposits and deposits on the pharyngeal mucosa developed in 17 (48.6%) and 10 persons (28.6%), respectively. The pharyngeal deposits developed in 58.8% of participants who developed intraoral deposits. All pathological specimens shared microscopic findings of various combinations of eosinophilic lamellar structure and a pale-basophilic amorphous substance. Immunohistochemically, both the 30 oral and the 16 pharyngeal specimens obtained from 17 participants were consistently positive for MUC7 but negative for MUC2. In conclusion, we clarified that the mucoid component of both oral and pharyngeal deposits comprised MUC7 salivary mucin, which revealed that both deposits originated from the oral cavity. This result strongly suggests that oral care is intimately related to oral and pharyngeal conditions.

Association of MUC2, MUC5AC and MUC5B genes with the recurrence of nasal polyps

Although mucins were suggested to contribute to the pathogenesis of nasal polyposis, the correlation between the expression levels of MUC5AC, MUC5B and MUC2, and the recurrence of nasal polyps, has not been extensively investigated. The present study aimed to investigate the association of the levels of mucin (MUC) 2, MUC5AC and MUC5B with the recurrence of nasal polyps. A total of 56 patients with nasal polyps who underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery at the Tianjin Third Central Hospital (Tianjin, China) between June 2007 and June 2010 were included and baseline characteristics were recorded. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analysis was used to determine the expression levels of the MUC2, MUC5AC and MUC5B genes at six months following the operation. The recurrence rate was calculated at one year following the operation. Spearman's rank correlation was used to determine the association between the reduction in the expression levels of MUC2, MUC5AC and MUC5B, and the recurrence rate of nasal polyps. There were no significant differences observed in the baseline characteristics between patients with and without the recurrence of nasal polyps. Prior to treatment, the expression levels of MUC5AC, MUC5B and MUC2 in patients with nasal polyps were significantly increased compared with those in the paranasal tissues and normal nasal mucosa. The expression levels of MUC5AC, MUC5B and MUC2 were similar between patients with and without recurrent nasal polyps. In addition, significantly decreased MUC5AC, MUC5B and MUC2 gene expression levels were observed in patients without recurrence of nasal polyps compared with those with recurrence of nasal polyps at six months following the operation. The decreased values of MUC5AC, MUC5B and MUC2 in patients with recurrence and without recurrence of nasal polyps compared with baselines were significantly negatively correlated with the recurrence rate of nasal polyps. In conclusion, the present results provided novel data for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with recurrent nasal polyps.