Epithelial Sodium and Chloride Channels and Asthma.
OBJECTIVE
To focus on the asthmatic pathogenesis and clinical manifestations related to epithelial sodium channel (ENaC)/chlorine ion channel.


METHODS
The data analyzed in this review were the English articles from 1980 to 2015 from journal databases, primarily PubMed and Google Scholar. The terms used in the literature search were: (1) ENaCs; cystic fibrosis (CF) transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR); asthma/asthmatic, (2) ENaC/sodium salt; CF; asthma/asthmatic, (3) CFTR/chlorine ion channels; asthma/asthmatic, (4) ENaC/sodium channel/scnn1a/scnn1b/scnn1g/scnn1d/amiloride-sensitive/amiloride-inhibtable sodium channels/sodium salt; asthma/asthmatic, lung/pulmonary/respiratory/tracheal/alveolar, and (5) CFTR; CF; asthma/asthmatic (ti).


METHODS
These studies included randomized controlled trials or studies covering asthma pathogenesis and clinical manifestations related to ENaC/chlorine ion channels within the last 25 years (from 1990 to 2015). The data involving chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and CF obtained from individual studies were also reviewed by the authors.


RESULTS
Airway surface liquid dehydration can cause airway inflammation and obstruction. ENaC and CFTR are closely related to the airway mucociliary clearance. Ion transporters may play a critical role in pathogenesis of asthmatic exacerbations.


CONCLUSIONS
Ion channels have been the center of many studies aiming to understand asthmatic pathophysiological mechanisms or to identify therapeutic targets for better control of the disease.
Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory of Respiratory and Pulmonary Circulation Disorders, Beijing 100020, China; Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Texas Lung Injury Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, Tyler Texas 75708, USA, .
Wen
W
Wang
Hong-Long
HL
Ji
D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018118:Chloride Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000235:genetics; D019005:Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator / Q000235:genetics; D004848:Epithelium / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000503:physiopathology; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000502:physiology*
D018118:Chloride Channels; D015222:Sodium Channels; D019005:Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator