A histochemical study of the tracheobronchial epithelial mucosubstances in normal dogs and dogs with chronic bronchitis.

The tracheobronchial mucosubstances in a group of normal dogs and a group of dogs with chronic bronchitis have been characterized histochemically. Sulphomucin was the predominant mucosubstance in the epithelial goblet cells of normal dogs and a mixture of sulphomucin and sialomucin was found in the bronchial glands. In the dogs with chronic bronchitis there was a shift towards the production of sialomucin in both sites.