The viscoelastic properties of tracheal mucus obtained from dogs equipped with a chronic tracheal pouch preparation were found to vary significantly during periods of exposure to sulfur dioxide inhalation. A biphasic response which apparently is due to variations in the ratio of high molecular weig ht glycoproteins to smaller serum-like proteins was observed. The response of the pouch mucosa to inhaled sulfur dioxide indicates that a neural or circulatory mechanism is probably involved, since the pouch is never directly exposed to the gas.
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Litt et al. (1976) studied this question.