Sodium and asthma: something borrowed, something new?
Some early studies have called attention to the potential contribution of sodium (both dietary and serum levels) in airway-related disease, although the picture was not entirely clear. Two recent developments may now allow a more careful consideration of this: first, the greatly improved understanding of the role of salt in hypertension (particularly the identification of subgroups of salt-sensitive individuals within the general population), and second, the recent discovery of the role of the Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger in smooth muscle function. Here, we first review those two developments and then apply them to airway smooth muscle and asthma.
Hirota
Simon A
SA
Smooth Muscle Research Group, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Janssen
Luke J
LJ
D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000378:metabolism*; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000201:enzymology; D051381:Rats; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism*; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary / Q000378:metabolism; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000378:metabolism
D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary; D012964:Sodium; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase