Objective To examine the effects of Pseudomonas aeruginosa(PA)quorum-sensing systems on airway mucus hypersecretion．Methods Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were intubated with a silicone tube pre-coated with PAO1(wild-type PA strain)，PAO1-JP2(quorum-sensing-mutant strain)or saline in the bronchus．After 28 days，the mRNA and protein expression of MUC5AC in the rats’bronchial epithelia were detected by RT-PCR，alcian blue／periodic acid—Schif(AB／PAS)staining and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)．Results In the PAO1 group，bronchiolar epithelium goblet cells by AB／PAS staining was significantly more than those in the PAO1-JP2 and control groups(both Plt;0．05)．The expression level of MUC5AC mRNA in the PAO1 group was significantly higher than those in the PAO1-JP2 and control groups(both P lt;0．05)．The ELISA showed that the concentration of MUC5AC protein in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)in the PAO1 group was much higher than that in the PAO1-JP2 group(P lt;0．05)．Conclusion PA quorum-sensing system plays an important role in airway mucus hypersecretion
