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Innervation of equine airways
M G Matera1, M Amorena, A Lucisano
1Department of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, 2nd University of Naples, Naples, Italy. mgmatera@yahoo.it
Pulmonary Pharmacology & Therapeutics
|December 21, 2002
Summary
Equine obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) involves airway twitchiness due to neural imbalances. Understanding neural mechanisms in horses can offer insights into managing this respiratory condition.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Pulmonary Physiology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Equine obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), also known as heaves or recurrent airway obstruction, shares similarities with human asthma and COPD.
- Key features of heaves include bronchospasm and inflammation, suggesting a role for neural regulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the contribution of neural mechanisms to equine obstructive pulmonary disease.
- To explore the potential role of autonomic neural control defects in causing hyperreactive airways in horses.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on equine airway innervation.
- Examination of autonomic neural control pathways, including cholinergic, adrenergic, and non-adrenergic-non-cholinergic (NANC) systems.
- Analysis of mediators affecting airway function.
Main Results:
- Equine airways exhibit cholinergic and adrenergic innervation, similar to other species.
- Defective autonomic neural control, characterized by an imbalance in excitatory and inhibitory pathways, may lead to hyperreactive airways in equine COPD.
- The existence of inhibitory and excitatory NANC pathways and various mediators highlights the complexity of neural control in airway function.
Conclusions:
- Neural mechanisms play a significant role in the pathophysiology of equine obstructive pulmonary disease.
- Further research into the non-classical neural pathways and mediators is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of heaves.
- Targeting neural pathways may offer novel therapeutic strategies for managing equine respiratory diseases.