In vitro-induced human airway hyperresponsiveness to bradykinin

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interleukin (IL)-1beta have been reported to induce airway hyperresponsiveness in several animal models. This study investigated the effect of LPS or IL-1beta on bradykinin-induced human isolated bronchi contraction. LPS (100 ng x mL(-1) for 3-6 h) and IL-1beta (3x10(-10) and 3x10(-9) M for 20 min to 3 h) time-dependently potentiated bradykinin-induced contraction. This contraction was abolished, as in control experiments, by indomethacin (10(-6) M) or by the thromboxane (Tx) receptor antagonist GR 32191 but not by the cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitor, CGP28238. In contrast, the Tx mimetic U46619-induced contraction of human bronchi was not enhanced IL-1beta pretreatment. In the presence of GR 32191 (10(-6) M), bradykinin induced a prostanoid dependent relaxation that was not significantly modified by IL-1beta pretreatment. Determination of prostanoids in the organ bath fluid showed that bradykinin induced TxB2, the stable metabolite of TxA2, and 6-keto prostaglandin F1alpha, the stable metabolite of PGI2, release. Only TxA2 release was potentiated by IL-1beta. Taken together our results suggest that interleukin-1beta (1-3 h)-induced potentiation of the effect of bradykinin is linked to an increased activity of thromboxane synthase and, in turn, to increased thromboxane synthesis.