Airway mucous gland (SMG)

Airway mucous glands, primarily the submucosal glands (SMGs), are specialized structures in the respiratory tract responsible for secreting the majority of airway mucus. This mucus is essential for the innate immune system, trapping inhaled particles and pathogens for removal via the mucociliary escalator (StatPearls, 2023). In chronic respiratory diseases like COPD and cystic fibrosis, these glands undergo hypertrophy and hyperplasia, leading to excessive mucus production and airway obstruction (PubMed, 2019). Pharmacological management focuses on reducing the volume of secretions through anticholinergic blockade of muscarinic receptors or altering the physical properties of the mucus using mucolytics and expectorants to facilitate clearance (NIH, 2022). Understanding the regulation of these glands is vital for developing treatments that balance the need for protective mucus with the prevention of pathological obstruction.

Other names

Submucosal glandsBronchial glandsAirway secretionsTracheobronchial glandsMucus-secreting glands

Pharmacological management involves muscarinic M3 receptor antagonism to inhibit glandular secretion, chemical reduction of disulfide bonds to decrease mucus viscosity, and enzymatic degradation of extracellular DNA to improve clearance.