The small airways accordion: concurrent or alternating fluid absorption and secretion?

The authors comment on a study published in this issue of the journal which suggested that individual airway surface epithelial cells oscillate between absorptive and secretory states. Included is a list of principal observations underlying the fluid recirculation model. The authors believe that the study's bioelectric measurements of the airway epithelium are a major technical achievement. They contend that it highlights the flaw in bidirectional models of ion transport by airway epithelia.