title: Chloride in airway smooth muscle: the ignored anion no longer?
abstract: This Perspectives accompanies an Editorial Focus that summarizes new developments concerning the role of chloride in airway smooth muscle physiology. We provide several observations and mechanistic insights to reconcile recent experimental evidence with existing paradigms concerning chloride channel-mediated effects on airway smooth muscle tone. In addition, we highlight the potentially complex and dynamic nature that chloride currents and membrane potential have on calcium handling and airway smooth muscle contractility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA. gg2125@columbia.edu
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gallos
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yim
authors.forename: Charles W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Emala
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D058785:GABA-A Receptor Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D009126:Muscle Relaxation / Q000502:physiology*; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000502:physiology*; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D058785:GABA-A Receptor Agonists; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A