Effects of mucosal removal on guinea-pig airway smooth muscle responsiveness

1986 ◽  
Vol 70 (6) ◽  
pp. 571-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Murlas

1. The contractile response to histamine, acetylcholine (ACh), KCl or electrical field stimulation (EFS) was examined in paired tracheal rings (one of each being denuded by mucosal rubbing), which were mounted in muscle chambers filled with a continuously aerated physiological salt solution at 37°C. 2. Removal of the respiratory mucosa increased the sensitivity of airway muscle to ACh, histamine and EFS, but not to KCl. The hypersensitivity of denuded rings to histamine and EFS was greater than to ACh. Atropine reduced the histamine hypersensitivity observed. 3. Pretreating intact preparations with indomethacin augmented their responsiveness to EFS, histamine and ACh. 4. Indomethacin augmentation of histamine- and EFS-induced responses was greater in preparations without epithelium. 5. We conclude that the airway mucosa may be associated with a factor that reduces airway smooth muscle responsiveness to stimulation.

1987 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 1396-1400 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Tamaoki ◽  
K. Sekizawa ◽  
P. D. Graf ◽  
J. A. Nadel

To determine whether prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) modulates cholinergic neurotransmission in airway smooth muscle and, if so, what the mechanism of action is, we studied bronchial segments from dogs under isometric conditions in vitro. PGD2 (10(-8)-10(-5) M) elicited dose-dependent muscle contraction, which was reduced after blockade of muscarinic receptors, so that 50% effective dose (ED50) increased from 1.3 +/- 0.3 X 10(-6) to 3.9 +/- 1.0 X 10(-6) M by atropine (10(-6) M) (mean +/- SE, P less than 0.05). Physostigmine, at a concentration insufficient to alter base-line tension (10(-8) M), enhanced the PGD2-induced contraction and decreased ED50 to 6.4 +/- 0.5 X 10(-7) M (P less than 0.05). When added at the highest doses that did not cause spontaneous contraction (1.9 +/- 0.5 X 10(-7) M), PGD2 increased the contractile response to electrical field stimulation (1–50 Hz) by 21.9 +/- 6.6% (P less than 0.001). In contrast to this effect, the response to administered acetylcholine was not affected by PGD2. On the other hand, PGD2-induced augmentation of the response to electrical field stimulation (5 Hz) was further increased from 23.6 +/- 3.0 to 70.4 +/- 8.8% in the presence of physostigmine (10(-8) M) and was abolished by atropine but not affected by the alpha-adrenergic antagonist phentolamine or the histamine H1-blocker pyrilamine. These results suggest that the contraction of airway smooth muscle induced by PGD2 is in in part mediated by a cholinergic action and that PGD2 prejunctionally augments the parasympathetic contractile response, likely involving the accelerated release of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction.


1988 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. L. Jones ◽  
P. M. O'Byrne ◽  
M. Pashley ◽  
R. Serio ◽  
J. Jury ◽  
...  

Airway hyperresponsiveness occurs after inhalation of O3 in dogs. The purpose of this study was to examine the responsiveness of trachealis smooth muscle in vitro to electrical field stimulation, exogenous acetylcholine, and potassium chloride from dogs with airway hyperresponsiveness after inhaled O3 in vivo and to compare this with the responsiveness of trachealis muscle from control dogs. In addition, excitatory junction potentials were measured with the use of single and double sucrose gap techniques in both groups of dogs to determine whether inhaled O3 affects the release of acetylcholine from parasympathetic nerves in trachealis muscle. Airway hyperresponsiveness developed in all dogs after inhaled O3 (3 ppm for 30 min). The acetylcholine provocative concentration decreased from 4.11 mg/ml before O3 inhalation to 0.66 mg/ml after O3 (P less than 0.0001). The acetylcholine provocative concentration increased slightly after control inhalation of dry room air. Airway smooth muscle showed increased responses to both electrical field stimulation and exogenous acetylcholine but not to potassium chloride in preparations from dogs with airway hyperresponsiveness in vivo. The increased response to electrical field stimulation was not associated with a change in excitatory junctional potentials. These results suggest that a postjunctional alteration in trachealis muscle function occurs after inhaled O3 in dogs, which may account for airway hyperresponsiveness after O3 in vivo.


1984 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 958-965 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. Taylor ◽  
P. D. Pare ◽  
R. R. Schellenberg

Electrical field stimulation (70 V, 1 ms, 0.2–500 Hz) of human bronchial strips and guinea pig tracheal chains produced contractile and relaxant responses. Contractions were blocked by atropine, 10(-6) M, and tetrodotoxin (TTX), 0.1–1.0 micrograms/ml, demonstrating a cholinergic excitatory neural component. Frequencies causing half-maximal contractile response to field stimulation (EFc 50) were 10 +/- 2 Hz for guinea pig and 13 +/- 1 Hz for human airways. Relaxations were unmasked by atropine 10(-6) M and slightly diminished by propranolol in guinea pig but not human airways, demonstrating a predominantly nonadrenergic inhibitory pathway in both species. Relaxation of intrinsic tone occurred at stimulation frequencies of 1 Hz or more. Frequencies causing half-maximal relaxation (EFi 50) were 3.5 +/- 0.3 Hz for guinea pig trachealis and 38 +/- 6 Hz for human bronchi. Following 1 microgram/ml TTX, EFi 50 values increased to 104 +/- 12 and 70 +/- 14 Hz, respectively. Frequencies of field stimulation that were inhibitable by TTX (less than or equal to 20 Hz) induced greater relaxation in guinea pig than human airways (70 vs. 10% of the maximal relaxation to 10(-2) M theophylline, respectively). The methods of analysis outlined in this study can be used to compare relative degrees of functional innervation between tissues from the same or different species.


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