Altering mucus rheology to "solidify" human mucus at the nanoscale.
The ability of mucus to function as a protective barrier at mucosal surfaces rests on its viscous and elastic properties, which are not well understood at length scales relevant to pathogens and ultrafine environmental particles. Here we report that fresh, undiluted human cervicovaginal mucus (CVM)...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2009-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2627937?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1818847755949309952 |
|---|---|
| author | Samuel K Lai Ying-Ying Wang Richard Cone Denis Wirtz Justin Hanes |
| author_facet | Samuel K Lai Ying-Ying Wang Richard Cone Denis Wirtz Justin Hanes |
| author_sort | Samuel K Lai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The ability of mucus to function as a protective barrier at mucosal surfaces rests on its viscous and elastic properties, which are not well understood at length scales relevant to pathogens and ultrafine environmental particles. Here we report that fresh, undiluted human cervicovaginal mucus (CVM) transitions from an impermeable elastic barrier to non-adhesive objects sized 1 microm and larger to a highly permeable viscoelastic liquid to non-adhesive objects smaller than 500 nm in diameter. Addition of a nonionic detergent, present in vaginal gels, lubricants and condoms, caused CVM to behave as an impermeable elastic barrier to 200 and 500 nm particles, suggesting that the dissociation of hydrophobically-bundled mucin fibers created a finer elastic mucin mesh. Surprisingly, the macroscopic viscoelasticity, which is critical to proper mucus function, was unchanged. These findings provide important insight into the nanoscale structural and barrier properties of mucus, and how the penetration of foreign particles across mucus might be inhibited. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T06:06:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7b01fd280eb14fe08367928deadbdd70 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T06:06:30Z |
| publishDate | 2009-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-7b01fd280eb14fe08367928deadbdd702022-12-21T20:33:07ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032009-01-0141e429410.1371/journal.pone.0004294Altering mucus rheology to "solidify" human mucus at the nanoscale.Samuel K LaiYing-Ying WangRichard ConeDenis WirtzJustin HanesThe ability of mucus to function as a protective barrier at mucosal surfaces rests on its viscous and elastic properties, which are not well understood at length scales relevant to pathogens and ultrafine environmental particles. Here we report that fresh, undiluted human cervicovaginal mucus (CVM) transitions from an impermeable elastic barrier to non-adhesive objects sized 1 microm and larger to a highly permeable viscoelastic liquid to non-adhesive objects smaller than 500 nm in diameter. Addition of a nonionic detergent, present in vaginal gels, lubricants and condoms, caused CVM to behave as an impermeable elastic barrier to 200 and 500 nm particles, suggesting that the dissociation of hydrophobically-bundled mucin fibers created a finer elastic mucin mesh. Surprisingly, the macroscopic viscoelasticity, which is critical to proper mucus function, was unchanged. These findings provide important insight into the nanoscale structural and barrier properties of mucus, and how the penetration of foreign particles across mucus might be inhibited.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2627937?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Samuel K Lai Ying-Ying Wang Richard Cone Denis Wirtz Justin Hanes Altering mucus rheology to "solidify" human mucus at the nanoscale. PLoS ONE |
| title | Altering mucus rheology to "solidify" human mucus at the nanoscale. |
| title_full | Altering mucus rheology to "solidify" human mucus at the nanoscale. |
| title_fullStr | Altering mucus rheology to "solidify" human mucus at the nanoscale. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Altering mucus rheology to "solidify" human mucus at the nanoscale. |
| title_short | Altering mucus rheology to "solidify" human mucus at the nanoscale. |
| title_sort | altering mucus rheology to solidify human mucus at the nanoscale |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2627937?pdf=render |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT samuelklai alteringmucusrheologytosolidifyhumanmucusatthenanoscale AT yingyingwang alteringmucusrheologytosolidifyhumanmucusatthenanoscale AT richardcone alteringmucusrheologytosolidifyhumanmucusatthenanoscale AT deniswirtz alteringmucusrheologytosolidifyhumanmucusatthenanoscale AT justinhanes alteringmucusrheologytosolidifyhumanmucusatthenanoscale |