title: Beta 3-adrenoceptors and airways.
abstract: beta 3-adrenoceptors have been identified in a variety of tissues from humans and animals: adipose tissue, gastrointestinal smooth muscle, rat skeletal muscle, bovine skeletal muscle, and human and canine heart. In the airways, the investigation of the beta 3-adrenoceptors came from studies with a series of novel selective agonists. Stimulation of the "atypical" beta-adrenoceptor increases the active transport of albumin across the ferret tracheal epithelium and the ciliary beat frequency of canine bronchial epithelium. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that beta 3-adrenoceptors agonists selectively inhibited nonadrenergic noncholinergic contractions of guinea-pig bronchi induced by electrical field stimulation or capsaicin. The presence of functional beta 3-adrenoceptors in the bronchial smooth muscle is disputed and seems to be species-related. In isolated canine bronchi, selective agonists induced a relaxation whereas they had no or slight effect in isolated human, guinea-pig and sheep bronchi. Likewise in man, a fall in airway resistance measured by plethysmography, was mediated by beta 2-adrenoceptors, but not beta 3-adrenoceptors. To conclude, an "atypical" or beta 3-adrenoceptor-mediated modulation of bronchomotricity exists, nevertheless strong species specific differences have been reported.
authors.affiliation: Université de Rennes I, Laboratoire de Pharmacologie Expérimentale et Moléculaire, Faculté des Sciences Pharmaceutiques et Biologiques, France.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Advenier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002799:Cholinergic Fibers / Q000502:physiology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004848:Epithelium / Q000502:physiology; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000502:physiology; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000502:physiology*; D012143:Respiratory Physiological Phenomena
chemical_list: D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta