Hyperresponsiveness of bronchial but not tracheal smooth muscle in a murine model of allergic bronchial asthma.
OBJECTIVE
To determine a change in airway smooth muscle contractility in a murine model of allergic asthma, the responsiveness of airway smooth muscles isolated from ovalbumin (OA)-sensitized and -challenged mice was compared with that from control animals.


METHODS
Actively sensitized mice were repeatedly challenged by ovalbumin (OA) antigen inhalation. Twenty-four h after the last antigen challenge, tracheal and bronchial smooth muscle responsiveness to acetylcholine (ACh) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) were measured. Airway microvascular leakage and histochemistry were also determined as indices of airway inflammation.


RESULTS
Both the ACh and ET-1 responsiveness of bronchial, but not tracheal, smooth muscles were significantly augmented in OA-challenged mice, whereas no significant change in the expression levels of M2, M3 and ETB receptors was observed. The Evans blue dye extravasation in the main bronchial, but not tracheal, tissue of OA-challenged mice was significantly increased as compared with that of sensitized control animals. A marked inflammatory cells infiltration was also observed in bronchial but not tracheal tissues of OA-challenged mice.


CONCLUSIONS
Repeated antigen challenge to sensitized mice caused a hyperresponsiveness of bronchial, but not tracheal, smooth muscle accompanied with bronchial tissue inflammation.
Chiba
Y
Y
Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Hoshi University, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 142-8501, Japan. chiba@hoshi.ac.jp
Ueno
A
A
Sakai
H
H
Misawa
M
M
D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens; D001249:Asthma / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001980:Bronchi / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002199:Capillary Permeability / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology; D007114:Immunization; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010047:Ovalbumin; D044023:Receptor, Endothelin B / Q000378:metabolism; D043643:Receptor, Muscarinic M1 / Q000378:metabolism; D043585:Receptor, Muscarinic M2 / Q000378:metabolism; D014132:Trachea / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology
D000941:Antigens; D019332:Endothelin-1; D044023:Receptor, Endothelin B; D043643:Receptor, Muscarinic M1; D043585:Receptor, Muscarinic M2; D010047:Ovalbumin; D000109:Acetylcholine