title: A contraction assay system using established human bronchial smooth muscle cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To further understand the mechanisms of airway obstruction in asthma, it is crucial to investigate contractile responses of human airway smooth muscle. An in vitro assay system employing collagen gels embedded with well-established bronchial smooth muscle cells of human origin was explored in the present study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Commercially available cultured human bronchial smooth muscle cells were embedded into a collagen gel. Well-known constrictors, histamine and methacholine, were added to the gel. The gel images were captured by an image analyzer, and contractile responses were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Histamine and methacholine induced contraction of the gels in a dose-dependent manner. Pyrilamine, an H1 receptor antagonist, inhibited gel contraction in an agonist-specific manner.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our contraction assay system, employing widely distributed cultured cells, was highly reproducible and precise. It may go a long way toward understanding mechanisms of asthmatic responses and evaluation of antiasthma drugs.
authors.affiliation: National Hospital Organization, Sagamihara National Hospital, Clinical Research Center for Allergy and Rheumatology, Sagamihara, Japan.
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kaminuma
authors.forename: Noriaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mori
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000379:methods; D001980:Bronchi / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D016085:Bronchoconstrictor Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003094:Collagen; D005782:Gels; D006632:Histamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D016210:Methacholine Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D016085:Bronchoconstrictor Agents; D005782:Gels; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D006632:Histamine; D003094:Collagen