title: Molecular modulation of airway epithelial ciliary response to sneezing.
abstract: Our purpose was to evaluate the effect of the mechanical force of a sneeze on sinonasal cilia function and determine the molecular mechanism responsible for eliciting the ciliary response to a sneeze. A novel model was developed to deliver a stimulation simulating a sneeze (55 mmHg for 50 ms) at 26°C to the apical surface of mouse and human nasal epithelial cells. Ciliary beating was visualized, and changes in ciliary beat frequency (CBF) were determined. To interrogate the molecular cascades driving sneeze-induced changes of CBF, pharmacologic manipulation of intra- and extracellular calcium, purinergic, PKA, and nitric oxide (NO) signaling were performed. CBF rapidly increases by ≥150% in response to a sneeze, which is dependent on the release of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), calcium influx, and PKA activation. Furthermore, apical release of ATP is independent of calcium influx, but calcium influx and subsequent increase in CBF are dependent on the ATP release. Lastly, we observed a blunted ciliary response in surgical specimens derived from patients with chronic rhinosinusitis compared to control patients. Apical ATP release with subsequent calcium mobilization and PKA activation are involved in sinonasal ciliary response to sneezing, which is blunted in patients with upper-airway disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Ke-Qing
authors.initials: KQ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Andrew T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Cowan
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.forename: Karla
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Droguett
authors.forename: Bei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chunquan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Villalon
authors.forename: James N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: James L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Kreindler
authors.forename: Noam A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002923:Cilia / Q000502:physiology*; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009079:Mucociliary Clearance / Q000502:physiology*; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000503:physiopathology; D012912:Sneezing
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D002118:Calcium; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester