title: Down-regulation of the non-neuronal acetylcholine synthesis and release machinery in acute allergic airway inflammation of rat and mouse.
abstract: Acetylcholine (ACh), derived both from nerve fibres and from non-neuronal sources such as epithelial cells, is a major regulator of airway function. There is evidence that dysfunction of the neuronal cholinergic system is involved in the pathogenesis of asthma. Here, we asked whether the pulmonary non-neuronal ACh-synthesis and release machinery is altered in a rat and a mouse model of allergic airway disease. Animals were sensitized against ovalbumin, challenged by allergen inhalation, and sacrificed 24 or 48 h later. Targets of investigation were the high-affinity choline transporter-1 (CHT1), that mediates cellular uptake of choline, the ACh-synthesizing enzyme choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), the vesicular ACh transporter (VAChT), and the polyspecific organic cation transporters (OCT1-3), which are able to translocate choline and ACh across the plasma membrane. With cell-type specific distribution patterns, immunohistochemistry identified these proteins in airway epithelial cells and alveolar macrophages. Real-time RT-PCR revealed significant decreases in ChAT-, CHT1-, VAChT-, OCT-mRNA in the lung of sensitized and allergen challenged animals. These data were supported by immunohistochemistry, demonstrating reduced labeling intensity of airway epithelial cells. ChAT-, CHT1-, VAChT-, and OCT1-mRNA were also significantly reduced in cells recovered by bronchoalveolar lavage from sensitized and challenged rats. In conclusion, the pulmonary non-neuronal cholinergic system is down-regulated in acute allergic airway inflammation. In view of the role of ACh in maintenance of cell-cell-contacts, stimulation of fluid-secretion and of ciliary beat frequency, this down-regulation may contribute to epithelial shedding and ciliated cell dysfunction that occur in this pathological condition.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Giessen Lung Center, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany. katrin.s.lips@anatomie.med.uni-giessen.de
authors.forename: Katrin S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lips
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lührmann
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tschernig
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stoeger
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alessandrini
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Grau
authors.forename: Rainer V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Haberberger
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koepsell
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pabst
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kummer
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007249:Inflammation / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000378:metabolism; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D027702:Organic Cation Transporter 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011914:Rats, Inbred BN; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D050494:Vesicular Acetylcholine Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; C488255:CHT1 protein, mouse; C501512:CHT1 protein, rat; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D027702:Organic Cation Transporter 1; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D050494:Vesicular Acetylcholine Transport Proteins; D010047:Ovalbumin; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase; D000109:Acetylcholine