Rheological characterization of neutral and anionic polysaccharides with reduced mucociliary transport rates

The purpose of this research was to compare the viscoelastic properties of several neutral and anionic polysaccharide polymers with their mucociliary transport rates (MTR) across explants of ciliated bovine tracheal tissue to identify rheologic parameters capable of predicting the extent of reduction in mucociliary transport. The viscoelastic properties of the polymer gels and gels mixed with mucus were quantified using controlled stress rheometry. In general, the anionic polysaccharides were more efficient at decreasing the mucociliary transport rate than were the neutral polymers, and a concentration threshold, where no further decreases in mucociliary transport occurred with increasing polymer concentration, was observed for several of the neutral polysaccharides. No single rheologic parameter (eta, G', G'', tan delta, G*) was a good predictor of the extent of mucociliary transport reduction, but a combination of the apparent viscosity (eta), tangent to the phase angle (tan delta), and complex modulus (G*) was found to be useful in the identification of formulations capable of decreasing MTR. The relative values of each of the rheologic parameters were unique for each polymer, yet once the relationships between the rheologic parameters and mucociliary transport rate reduction were determined, formulations capable of resisting mucociliary clearance could be rapidly optimized.