Effect of methacholine chloride on rheology and transport of canine tracheal mucus.

The effect of methacholine chloride (M) on tracheal mucus was investigated in three conscious tracheostomized dogs. Aerosols of M in concentrations of 2--32 mg/ml were delivered intratracheally for 1 min. Mucus was sampled with a cytology brush at 2 min postchallenge and at irregular intervals thereafter. The mechanical properties of each sample were determined in the magnetic microrheometer, and correlated with mucociliary transportability as assayed by the frog palate technique. With high doses of M, there was an increase in volume of secretion collected per unit time. The elastic modulus (G') at 2 min postchallenge went up (to 1.5 x 2.3 x control for 16 and 32 mg/ml, respectively) then fell below control before returning to base line after 30 or 45 min. With low doses of M (2--8 mg/ml) the secretion rate was also above control, but only a decrease in G' (to 0.54 x control) was observed. The decrease in G' at low doses did not significantly alter the frog palate transport rate; however, the increase at higher doses did impede mucociliary transport.