The effects of peptides and mediators on mucus secretion rate and smooth muscle tone in the ferret trachea.

The effects of a number of peptides and mediators were measured on the secretion rate of tracheal mucus and tracheal smooth muscle tone in the ferret in vitro whole trachea. The comparison of secretion rate and smooth muscle tone, measured simultaneously in the same preparation, shows that there are wide differences in sensitivity between the two systems; there appears to be no relationship between mucus volume output and smooth muscle contraction. The comparison of mucus secretion rate and glycoprotein output in other models and species to these drugs in the same concentrations indicates that there may be mucus glycoprotein output without an increase in volume output.