title: Cough sensors. V. Pharmacological modulation of cough sensors.
abstract: Several airway afferent nerve subtypes have been implicated in coughing. These include bronchopulmonary C-fibers, rapidly adapting airway mechanoreceptors and touch-sensitive tracheal Adelta-fibers (also called cough receptors). Although the last two afferent nerve subtypes are primarily sensitive to mechanical stimuli, all can be acted upon by one or more different chemical stimuli. In this review we catalogue the chemical agents that stimulate and/or modulate the activity of the airway afferent nerves involved in cough, and describe the specific mechanisms involved in these effects. In addition, we describe the mechanisms of action of a number of chemical inhibitors of these afferent nerve subtypes, and attempt to relate this information to the regulation of coughing in health and disease.
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia QLD 4072, Australia. s.mazzone@uq.edu.au
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Mazzone
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Undem
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000996:Antitussive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003371:Cough / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000187:drug effects; D036421:Nerve Fibers, Unmyelinated / Q000187:drug effects; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000996:Antitussive Agents