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Updated: Aug 18, 2026

In vitro Measurements of Tracheal Constriction Using Mice
Published on: June 25, 2012
Prolonged exposure to NT-3 attenuates cholinergic nerve-mediated contractions in cultured murine airways
Ofir Bachar1, Mikael Adner, Rolf Uddman
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Laboratory of Clinical Experimental Allergy Research, Malmö University Hospital, SE-20502 Malmö, Sweden. Ofir.Bachar@oron.mas.lu.se
Abstract:
Chronic airway inflammation may induce subsequent airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR) including pathological alteration of neural activity. Asthmatic airways contain elevated levels of neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) albeit, their effect on neural activity is unclear. This study evaluates the effects of NT-3 and BDNF on nerve mediated airway contractions in vitro. Tracheal segments from BALB/c J mice were cultured for 4 days with NT-3 or BDNF. Responsiveness to electric field stimulation (EFS) was evaluated in organ-bath and innervation patterns were examined by quantitative immunohistochemistry. In cultured segments the EFS-induced contractions were inhibited by tetrodotoxin or atropine. NT-3 reduced the EFS contractions in a concentration-dependent manner whereas BDNF had no effect. The amount of nerve fibers, found in conjunction with the tracheal smooth muscle, was similar in NT-3 treated and control segments. In conclusion, NT-3 attenuates cholinergic nerve-mediated contractions of airway in vitro. Considering the elevated levels of NT-3 found in asthmatic airways, the findings imply a protective role of NT-3 in AHR.
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