The Mucociliary Activity of the Respiratory Tract: I. Inhibitory Effects of Products of Pseudomonas aeruginosa on Rabbit Trachea in vitro

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Abstract
Bacteriological filtrates of 3 strains of P. aeruginosa were compared with respect to inhibitory effect on ciliary movements and a quantitative difference was established. The cilia inhibitory effect was concentration-dependent and resistant to heating. The ciliotoxic effect disappeared from filtrates after chloroform extraction. The chloroform-extracted sediment was dissolved in physiological saline and revealed an inhibitory effect on cilia. Involvement of endotoxin in unlikely, since Escherichia coli endotoxin in a high concentration was not toxic. Partially purified P. aeruginosa phenazine pigment or hemolysin inhibited ciliary activity. The effect was standardized in the present experiment.