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Published on: January 10, 2013
Autonomic neural control of the airways
Stuart B Mazzone1, Brendan J Canning
1School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
Abstract:
The airways and lungs are innervated by both sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves. Cholinergic parasympathetic innervation is well conserved in the airways while the distribution of noncholinergic parasympathetic and adrenergic sympathetic nerves varies considerably amongst species. Autonomic nerve function is regulated primarily through reflexes initiated upon bronchopulmonary vagal afferent nerves. Central regulation of autonomic tone is poorly described but some key elements have been defined.
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