title: Airway mechanics and methods used to visualize smooth muscle dynamics in vitro.
abstract: Contraction of airway smooth muscle (ASM) is regulated by the physiological, structural and mechanical environment in the lung. We review two in vitro techniques, lung slices and airway segment preparations, that enable in situ ASM contraction and airway narrowing to be visualized. Lung slices and airway segment approaches bridge a gap between cell culture and isolated ASM, and whole animal studies. Imaging techniques enable key upstream events involved in airway narrowing, such as ASM cell signalling and structural and mechanical events impinging on ASM, to be investigated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and the Airway Biology Initiative, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: McParland
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: P B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Noble
authors.forename: A Z
authors.initials: AZ
authors.lastname: Politi
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Ressmeyer
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: West
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D018715:Microscopy, Video / Q000379:methods*; D008954:Models, Biological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000502:physiology*; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics / Q000502:physiology*; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*