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Mucociliary clearance (MCC), mucociliary transport, or the mucociliary escalator describes the self-clearing mechanism of the airways in the respiratory system. [1] It is one of the two protective processes for the lungs in removing inhaled particles including pathogens before they can reach the delicate tissue of the lungs.
The ciliated cells are the primary components in the mucociliary clearance mechanism. Each epithelial cell has around 200 cilia that beat constantly at a rate of between 10 and 20 times per second. The direction of their beat is targeted towards the pharynx , either upwards from the lower respiratory tract or downwards from the nasal structures.
In the lower respiratory tract impaired mucociliary clearance due to conditions such as primary ciliary dyskinesia may result in mucus accumulation in the bronchi. [16] The dysregulation of mucus homeostasis is the fundamental characteristic of cystic fibrosis, an inherited disease caused by mutations in the CFTR gene, which encodes a chloride ...
These beat rhythmically out from the lungs, moving secreted mucus foreign particles toward the laryngopharynx upwards and outwards, in a process called mucociliary clearance, preventing mucus accumulation in the lungs. Macrophages in the alveoli are part of the immune system which engulf and digest any inhaled harmful agents.
Airway clearance therapy is treatment that uses a number of airway clearance techniques to clear the respiratory airways of mucus and other secretions. [1] Several respiratory diseases cause the normal mucociliary clearance mechanism to become impaired resulting in a build-up of mucus which obstructs breathing, and also affects the cough reflex.
Impaired mucociliary clearance is linked to poor lung function in a broad range of diseases and disabilities. [2] Pulmonary hygiene prevents atelectasis (the collapse of the alveoli of the lungs) and rids the respiratory system of secretions, [3] which could cause respiratory infections.
Mucokinetics: increase mucociliary transport (clearance) and transportability of mucus by cough [2] Mucoregulators: suppress underlying mechanisms of mucus hypersecretion [2] Alternatively, attacking the affinity between secretions and the biological surfaces is another avenue, which is used by abhesives and surfactants. [citation needed]
When this ratio is upset in this way, the effect is of generating the mucus hyperplasia associated with a number of respiratory diseases, due to the insufficient ciliary action needed for mucociliary clearance. The release of antimicrobials may occur as a second-line defence with cell differentiation. [3] [5]