title: Mechanisms of bronchial hyperresponsiveness: the interaction of endothelin-1 and other cytokines.
abstract: Bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) is a fundamental characteristic of asthma and has become part of a more recent definition of asthma. Data show a close link between bronchial hyperresponsiveness (both transient and persistent) and airway inflammation. Airway inflammation is orchestrated by a complex network of cytokines. It has been considered that endothelin-1 is involved in bronchoconstriction and airway structural remodelling and has several pro-inflammatory properties of potential relevance to asthma. We focus on endothelin-1, its activities and interaction with other cytokines in the pathogenesis of asthma.
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Diseases, China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Zhong
mesh_terms: D000403:Airway Resistance; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000378:metabolism*; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D019332:Endothelin-1; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor