title: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is retained in the bronchi of cystic fibrotics by the increased transepithelial potential.
abstract: There is no hypothesis which satisfactorily unifies the abnormal secretions of electrolytes in cystic fibrosis (CF) with the thickened mucus and the retention of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA). We have shown that mucus becomes opaque and more viscous adjacent to a positive electrode and that PA derived from CF sputum electrophoreses much faster than control PA. We propose that the increased transepithelial potential in CF respiratory tract acts to thicken mucus polymers thereby increasing its viscosity. We also suggest that as the thicker mucus forms on the epithelial surface bacteria with a high electrophoretic mobility (EM) are drawn into it and are thereby selected.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Dealler
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Holton
mesh_terms: D001980:Bronchi / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004594:Electrophysiology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009093:Mucus / Q000502:physiology; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014783:Viscosity