title: Glucocorticoids inhibit sulfur mustard-induced airway muscle hyperresponsiveness to substance P.
abstract: To explore the mechanisms of airway hyperreactivity to aerosolized substance P observed in guinea pigs 14 days after intratracheal injection of sulfur mustard (SM), we studied the effects of epithelium removal and inhibition of neutral endopeptidase (NEP) activity on airway muscle responsiveness. Tracheal rings from SM-intoxicated guinea pigs expressed a greater contractile response to substance P than rings from nonintoxicated guinea pigs. After epithelium removal or incubation with the NEP inhibitor phosphoramidon, the contractile responses of tracheal rings to substance P did not differ in guinea pigs injected with SM or ethanol (SM solvent). Treatment of the guinea pigs with betamethasone for 7 days before measurement abolished the airway muscle hyperresponsiveness observed in untreated SM-intoxicated guinea pigs and partially restored tracheal epithelium NEP activity. In addition, the tracheal epithelium height and cell density of SM-intoxicated guinea pigs treated with betamethasone were significantly greater than in those without betamethasone. These results demonstrate that SM intoxication induces airway muscle hyperresponsiveness to substance P by reducing tracheal epithelial NEP activity and that glucocorticoids might inhibit this hyperresponsiveness by increasing this activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculté de Médecine de Créteil, France.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Calvet
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: D'Ortho
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Jarreau
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Levame
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Harf
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Macquin-Mavier
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000336:Aerosols; D000818:Animals; D001623:Betamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D004848:Epithelium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity; D006020:Glycopeptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology; D009151:Mustard Gas / Q000633:toxicity*; D015260:Neprilysin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D013373:Substance P / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D014132:Trachea / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D006020:Glycopeptides; D013373:Substance P; D000431:Ethanol; D001623:Betamethasone; D015260:Neprilysin; C008890:phosphoramidon; D009151:Mustard Gas