Effect of Supernatant of Sputum from Patients with Bronchial Asthma or Chronic Bronchial Infection on Ciliary Beat Frequency

Abstract

Sputum from patients with bronchial asthma or chronic bronchial infection, was centrifuged and the supernatant was obtained. It was, then, applied to frog palate mucous membranes and ciliary beat frequency was measured using the microphoto-oscillation method. Slurry sputum from asthmatics suppressed ciliary beat. However, the cilia recovered their normal beat frequency after washing off the supernatant with medium-199. Neither mucoid sputum from asthmatics nor purulent sputum from cases of chonic bronchial infection suppressed the beat. Moreover, the beat frequency was independent of the viscosity and pH of the supernatant. We conclude that slurry sputum has a viscosity and pH-independent cilia beat suppressing factor.