Hydrogen peroxide contracts human airways in vitro: role of epithelium

The effects of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on human airway smooth muscle tone were determined in vitro. Treatment with H2O2 led to transient concentration-related contractions in the organ bath, amounting to 118 +/- 14 mg (mean +/- SE; n = 12) at 1 mM H2O2, and to greater and more prolonged contractions under superfusion conditions, amounting to 451 +/- 71 mg (n = 17) at 1 mM H2O2. Epithelial removal augmented the response to H2O2 in both systems. Addition of catalase (500 U/ml) abolished the effects of H2O2. Pretreatment of superfused tissues with indomethacin (3 microM) shifted the concentration-effect curve to H2O2 rightward and almost abolished the response to 1 mM H2O2 in epithelium-intact preparations (n = 16; P < 0.05); the response in epithelium-denuded tissues was also significantly inhibited (n = 16; P < 0.05). Pretreatment of the tissues with the TP prostanoid-receptor antagonist GR-32191B (1 microM) also inhibited the contractile effect of H2O2 in epithelium-intact and -denuded tissues. In separate experiments, H2O2 resulted in concentration-related generation of prostaglandin (PG) D2 from isolated airway preparations. The amount of PGD2 released was not different in tissues with intact epithelium compared with those without (n = 9; NS). We conclude that H2O2 exerts on isolated human airways a contractile effect that is augmented by epithelium removal and is largely mediated by prostanoids. The source of PGD2 does not appear to be the epithelium, which we suggest serves mainly as a barrier against H2O2-mediated bronchoconstriction.