Effect of mucolytic agents on the rheological properties of tracheal mucus.
Canine tracheal mucus was dissolved by a number of mucolytic agents, including disulfide bond reducing agents, hydrogen bond breaking agents, and chaotropic ions, and their effect on rheological properties was assessed. Sodium thiocyanate led to 85-100% dissolution with the maximum retention of elasticity. Thiocyanate exposure did not result in demonstrable alterations in the size or shape of the mucus glycoproteins. Sodium thiocyanate is therefore recommended as a suitable dispersing agent for physiochemical studies of glycoprotein secretions.
D000818:Animals; D004229:Dithiothreitol; D004285:Dogs; D005100:Expectorants; D006146:Guanidines; D008297:Male; D009093:Mucus; D012212:Rheology; D012995:Solubility; D013861:Thiocyanates; D014132:Trachea; D014508:Urea; D014783:Viscosity
D005100:Expectorants; D006146:Guanidines; D013861:Thiocyanates; D014508:Urea; D004229:Dithiothreitol