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Airway sensory nerves: a burning issue in asthma?
1Department of Thoracic Medicine, King's College School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK.
Thorax
|March 1, 1996
Summary
Sensory nerves, specifically C fibres, release inflammatory peptides in asthma, contributing to airway hyper-responsiveness. Targeting these sensory nerves may offer a new treatment approach for asthma management.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pulmonology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Asthma is characterized by cough and bronchoconstriction upon stimulation of sensory nerves.
- Sensory nerve C fibres release neuropeptides like substance P, neurokinin A (NKA), and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of sensory nerve function in asthma.
- To explore the potential of targeting airway sensory nerves for asthma treatment.
Main Methods:
- Utilized capsaicin, a C fibre stimulant, to investigate neuropeptide release.
- Examined the link between sensory nerve function and asthma pathophysiology.
Main Results:
- Capsaicin selectively stimulates C fibre afferents, releasing proinflammatory peptides.
- Upregulated sensory nerve function may contribute to bronchial hyper-responsiveness, inflammation, and airway remodelling in asthma.
Conclusions:
- Airway sensory nerves play a significant role in asthma pathogenesis.
- Developing drugs to attenuate sensory nerve function could be a promising therapeutic strategy for asthma.