Mechanical plasticity and contractile properties of airway smooth muscle

Smooth muscle has the unique ability to adapt easily and quickly to length changes without compromising its ability to generate force. This ability is referred to as mechanical plasticity and is now considered to be an important aspect of smooth muscle that affects both its contractile and relaxation behaviour. It is therefore important to incorporate knowledge of plasticity into further studies of smooth muscle behaviour. It is also important that future studies be focused on deciphering the mechanism of smooth muscle length adaptation and plasticity. This review outlines some of the proposed mechanisms determining plasticity. However, it should be said that there are other proposed mechanisms not touched upon here, which may be equally as important. This review also focuses on the relevance of smooth muscle plasticity in asthma, but it is important to remember that there are other places where smooth muscle plasticity may play an equally important role.