AUTONOMIC REGULATION OF AIRWAY SMOOTH MUSCLE TONE

描述：气道平滑肌受兴奋性和 抑制自主神经。 在人类自主神经引起的收缩 的气道是由乙酰胆碱介导的，而主要的松弛剂 气道平滑肌的神经支配既不是肾上腺素能的，也不是胆碱能的， 性质，被描述为非肾上腺素能，非胆碱能或NANC 松弛的神经支配 这些自主神经的反作用 在调节气道平滑肌张力中起主要作用， 可能是肺生理学和病理生理学的整体效应物。 它 我的长期目标是更深入地了解 呼吸道的自主控制 有人建议，NANC 松弛神经用作对气道的胆碱能神经的制动， 在副交感神经系统兴奋期防止过度收缩 （胆碱能）张力。 有人进一步提出，这些功能障碍 神经松弛可能参与肺部疾病的发病机制。 尽管有这种可能性，而且它们作为主要的松弛神经的作用， 对于气道，关于NANC松弛剂的调节知之甚少 肺的神经支配。 本研究要解决的核心假设是， 建议是NANC松弛神经在解剖学上和 在生理上不同于支配气道的所有其它自主神经 平滑肌，因此，可以以一种完全 与支配肺的其他神经的不同。 此外，它 有人断言，任何试图定义这些神经在 调节气道张力需要更好地了解它们的 解剖学和生理学属性。 为此，一个多学科的 方法将被用来彻底表征形态和 豚鼠气道的NANC松弛神经的生理属性。 此外，使用细胞内电生理记录 技术和体内模型来研究气道反射，一些基本的 它们在副交感神经节水平的调节方面 以及通过中枢介导的反射。 预计 这一信息将有助于我们了解 健康和患病肺的自主神经支配。

DESCRIPTION: Airway smooth muscle is innervated by excitatory and inhibitory autonomic nerves. In humans autonomic nerve-induced constriction of the airways is mediated by acetylcholine while the predominant relaxant innervation of airway smooth muscle is neither adrenergic nor cholinergic in nature and has been described as the nonadrenergic, noncholinergic or NANC relaxant innervation. The counteracting actions of these autonomic nerves play a primary role in regulating airway smooth muscle tone and are thus likely to be integral effectors of lung physiology and pathophysiology. It is my long-term objective to develop a more thorough understanding of the autonomic control of the airways. It has been proposed that the NANC relaxant nerves serve as a brake on the cholinergic nerves of airways, preventing excessive constriction during periods of elevated parasympathetic (cholinergic) tone. It has been further proposed that dysfunction of these relaxant nerves might contribute to the pathogenesis of pulmonary disease. Despite this possibility and their role as the primary relaxant nerves of the airways, very little is known about the regulation of the NANC relaxant innervation of the lung. The central hypothesis to be addressed in this proposal is that the NANC relaxant nerves are anatomically and physiologically distinct from all other autonomic nerves innervating airway smooth muscle and consequently, may be regulated in a way that is entirely different from that of the other nerves innervating the lung. Further, it is asserted that any attempt to define the role of these nerves in regulating airway tone will require a better understanding of their anatomical and physiological attributes. To this end, a multidisciplinary approach will be employed to thoroughly characterize the morphological and physiological attributes of the NANC relaxant nerves of guinea pig airways. In addition, using both intracellular electrophysiological recording techniques and an in vivo model to study airway reflexes, some fundamental aspects of their regulation both at the level of the parasympathetic ganglia and through centrally-mediated reflexes will be defined. It is anticipated that this information will improve our understanding of the role of the autonomic innervation of the healthy and diseased lung.