Methodologic advancements in the study of airway smooth muscle.
The study of isolated airway myocytes has provided important information relative to specific processes that regulate contraction, proliferation, and synthetic properties of airway smooth muscle (ASM). To place this information in physiological context, however, improved methods to examine airway biology in vivo are needed. Advances in genetic, biochemical, and optical methods provide unprecedented opportunities to improve our understanding of in vivo physiology and pathophysiology. This article describes 4 important methodologic advances in the study of ASM: (1) the development of transgenic mice that could be used to investigate ASM proliferation and phenotype switching during the development of hypersensitivity, and to investigate excitation-contraction coupling; (2) the use of CD38-deficient mice to confirm the role of CD38-dependent, cyclic adenosine diphosphate-ribose-mediated calcium release in airway responsiveness; (3) investigation of the role of actin filament length and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activity in regulating the mechanical plasticity-elasticity balance in contracted ASM; and (d) the use of bronchial biopsies to study ASM structure and phenotype in respiratory science.
Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. mik7@cornell.edu
Michael I
MI
Kotlikoff
Mathur S
MS
Kannan
Julian
J
Solway
Ke-Yu
KY
Deng
Deepak A
DA
Deshpande
Maria
M
Dowell
Morris
M
Feldman
Kai Su
KS
Green
Guangju
G
Ji
Robyn
R
Johnston
Oren
O
Lakser
Jane
J
Lee
Frances E
FE
Lund
Carlos
C
Milla
Richard W
RW
Mitchell
Junichi
J
Nakai
Mark
M
Rishniw
Timothy F
TF
Walseth
Thomas A
TA
White
Jason
J
Wilson
Hong-Bo
HB
Xin
Prescott G
PG
Woodruff
D036541:ADP-ribosyl Cyclase / Q000502:physiology; D051997:ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1; D000199:Actins / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000502:physiology; D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology; D001980:Bronchi / Q000166:cytology*; D020013:Calcium Signaling; D036563:Cyclic ADP-Ribose / Q000502:physiology; D004548:Elasticity; D006801:Humans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000502:physiology*; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains / Q000502:physiology; D014132:Trachea / Q000166:cytology*; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
D000199:Actins; D015703:Antigens, CD; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D036563:Cyclic ADP-Ribose; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D036541:ADP-ribosyl Cyclase; C498154:CD38 protein, human; C498155:Cd38 protein, mouse; D051997:ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains