Cation induced changes in the rheological properties of purified mucus glycoprotein gels

Issue title: Special Double Issue for the Fifth International Congress of Biorheology. Dedicated to Hellmut Hartert. Baden-Baden, F.R. Germany, 20–24 August 1983

Guest editors: Alfred L. Copley

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Crowther, R.S.^b | Marriott, C.^a | James, S.L.^a

Affiliations: [a] Department of Pharmacy, Brighton Polytechnic, Moulsecoomb, Brighton, U.K. | [b] C.F. Research Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, University Avenue, Toronto, Canada

Abstract: The effects of mono-, di- and trivalent ions on the rheological properties of a purified mucus glycoprotein gel have been investigated. Monovalent ions increased the fluidity of the gels in a concentration dependent manner. The effect of calcium was pH dependent; at neutral pH values this ion produced a maximum in the gel viscoelasticity at a concentration of 0.5 mM, whilst at pH 5.0 the increase in viscoelasticity was sustained up to 3.0 mM. The same concentrations of copper (II) at pH 5.0 had a similar but greater effect on the viscoelasticity. Al3+ at pH 3.0 increased the viscoelastic moduli throughout the range studied (0.1–2.0 mM), whereas iron made the gels more fluid at low concentrations, but increased the viscoelasticity to above control values at a concentration of 2.0 mM.

Keywords: mucus, viscoelasticity, cations, gel structure

DOI: 10.3233/BIR-1984-211-227

Journal: Biorheology, vol. 21, no. 1-2, pp. 253-263, 1984