What five defence mechanisms are utilised in the airway?
Describe the two mechanisms of aerodynamic filtration in the airways.
What is the mucociliary escalator?
The epithelium of the respiratory tract contains ciliated epi cells and goblet cells. Mucous produced by goblet cells is swept in an oral direction by the cilia and is reswallowed by the animal.
What is the function of mucus in the respiratory tract?
Name and describe the antimicrobial substances present in the mucous.
Which two factors affect the mucociliary carpet function?
What causes them?
What does this picture depict?
Describe.

Epithelial metaplasia. An abnormal change in the nature of a tissue (ie cell type to a stratified squamous appearance) in response to a stimuli (here chronic irritation)
This is a reversible change, once the stimuli is removed and the cells turned over the native cells return.
Which Ig is the main type found in the airways?
IgA
What protective reflexes are airway motivated?
Why are they vital?
Cough and sneeze
These are the reserve clearance mechanisms and are particularly vital during situations such as those when the ciliated cells are lost (becomes only mechanism)
Describe the alveolar defences found in the LRT.
Macrophages: Three types
These phagocytose particles and agents, recruit neutrophils, co-ordinate inflammation and ascend the mucociliary escalator
Describe the mechanisms of action of the of macrophages found in the alveoli.
Describe this lesion.

A cleft palate
Failure to close the palatine shelves (primary or secondary palate) causes aspiration of food at weaning and beyond
What is seen here? What problems can this pathology cause?

GP tympany (air build up)
A defect of the nasopharyngeal opening causes (unilateral) trapping of air and mucus in the GP.
Oesophageal pressure can lead to dysphagia and dyspnoea.
Can lead to aspiration of food and pneumonia and predisposes horses to GP bacterial infection
Describe the problems associated with Brachiocephalic airways.
Leads to airway obstruction, cyanosis and syncope
Epistaxis
Bleeding from the nose
What can cause bleeding from the URT?
What is the difference between active and passive congestion of the URT?
What are the cardinal signs of inflammation?
What stages of acute inflammation characterise types of nasal discharge?
Describe each stage
What are the common pathological changes in the URT with chronic inflammation?
Polipoid thickening
Abnormal thickening/ growth of tissue projecting from a mucous membrane .
It is pedunculated if attached to the mucosa by an elongated stalk. If no stalk is present it is sessile.

Polypoid thickening is characteristic of chronic nasal inflammation particularly in which species and where?
Horses - they arise in the ethmoid region
Cats - they arise from the auditory tubes or tympanic bulla (may extend into the pharynx or external auditory tubes
Causes of URT inflammation.
Name three examples of viral agents associated with URT infections