Oxidative stress and receptor responses in guinea-pig tracheal tissue

Reactive oxygen species are formed during inflammatory reactions in the lung. Alveolar macrophages and neutrophils and eosinophils produce superoxide anions, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radicals and singlet oxygen. Neutrophils and eosinophils produce also hypochlorous acid. We now present the effects of hydrogen peroxide and hypochlorous acid on muscarinic and beta-adrenergic receptor responses of guinea pig tracheal tissue. Hydrogen peroxide (up to 10 mM) has no effect on these receptor responses, but in contrast hypochlorous acid destructs the muscarinic and beta-adrenergic receptor response. The beta-adrenergic receptor response is more susceptible to hypochlorous acid treatment than the muscarinic receptor response. This indicates that hypchlorous acid induces an autonomic imbalance between parasympatic and sympatic receptor responses in the guinea pig trachea.