Effect of pH on the viscoelastic properties of pig gastric mucus

R M Parlato; F Greco; P L Maffettone; D Larobina

doi:10.1016/j.jmbbm.2019.06.008

Effect of pH on the viscoelastic properties of pig gastric mucus

J Mech Behav Biomed Mater. 2019 Oct:98:195-199. doi: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2019.06.008. Epub 2019 Jun 11.

Authors

R M Parlato¹, F Greco¹, P L Maffettone¹, D Larobina²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical, Materials, and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Napoli Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125, Napoli, Italy.
² Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials - National Research Council of Italy, P.le E. Fermi 1, 80055, Portici (NA), Italy. Electronic address: larobina@unina.it.

PMID: 31254906
DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2019.06.008

Abstract

Mucus is a biomaterial with peculiar, gel-like viscoelastic properties, and bearing different functionalities, depending on the different mucosae it covers. It is clear that these functionalities have to stay effective throughout the in vivo broad range of physiological pH values at which the mucus is exposed. We sought here to determine the effect of pH on the rheological properties of ex vivo mucus. We demonstrate that viscoelastic properties of gastric mucus are quite "stable" to pH changes, in marked contrast with the pH sensitivity of purified mucin gels. We also find that the rheological features of porcine gastric mucus are reversible when the system is first alkalized up to solubilization (pH > 8.5) and then re-acidified to its initial pH value.

Keywords: Mucus; Rheology; pH variation.

MeSH terms

Animals
Elasticity*
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Materials Testing
Mucus*
Stomach*
Swine
Viscosity