Structural and functional aspects of cells in the nasal mucociliary system.

The regulation of the fluid balance of the mucus is important for a good function of the mucociliary system in the nose. The nasal glands and the goblet cells have been proposed to be the main source of fluid. Microvilli-equipped epithelial cells, ciliated and nonciliated, constituting 70% to 90% of the cells on the turbinates in the nose, are of importance for the regulation of the hydration of the mucus. These cells have the same characteristics as other fluid-secreting cells elsewhere in the body. They have microvilli, a terminal web, folding of the basolateral membrane, and numerous cell organelles. Blockage of the energy supply strongly reduces the fluid secretion.