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Postjunctional Factors in Airway Smooth Muscle Hyperresponsiveness

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Abstract

The sections in this article are:

1 Mechanical Properties of Sensitized Airway Smooth Muscle
2 Role of Airway Smooth Muscle Receptors
2.1 α‐Adrenoceptors
2.2 β‐Adrenoceptors
2.3 β‐Adrenoceptor Desensitization
2.4 Effect of Tone on Adrenergic Responses of Airway Smooth Muscle
3 Role of Conversion of Multiunit Airway Smooth Muscle to Single‐Unit Muscle
4 Role of Changes in Operation of Contractile Machinery
5 Conclusion
Figure 1. Figure 1.

Isometric tension vs. time for sensitized (top) and control (bottom) tracheal smooth muscle (TSM) strips. Top: Schultz‐Dale response (phasic contraction) to ovalbumin (OA). Second spike is washout artifact. Bottom: no response to similar OA challenge.

Figure 2. Figure 2.

Isometric tension myograms from sensitized and control TSM. Supramaximal electrical stimulation was used.

Figure 3. Figure 3.

Isometric tension vs. time from single experiment. Top: control TSM bathed in normal Krebs‐Henseleit solution (NS). Bottom: mechanical responses of muscle in Ca2+‐free solution and response to addition of Ca2+.

Figure 4. Figure 4.

Isometric tension vs. time after quick stretch applied at velocity 5 times greater than the maximum velocity of shortening of TSM. Magnitude of stretch was 10% of optimal length (lo).

Figure 5. Figure 5.

Load (or force)‐velocity curves for sensitized and control TSM; both set at their predetermined lo. Dotted lines: linearized transforms of hyperbolas. Abscissa and right‐hand ordinate are coordinates for linear transforms. Po, isometric force.

Figure 6. Figure 6.

Mean values for TSM shortening vs. tension (n = 11). Bars indicate ± SE.



Figure 1.

Isometric tension vs. time for sensitized (top) and control (bottom) tracheal smooth muscle (TSM) strips. Top: Schultz‐Dale response (phasic contraction) to ovalbumin (OA). Second spike is washout artifact. Bottom: no response to similar OA challenge.



Figure 2.

Isometric tension myograms from sensitized and control TSM. Supramaximal electrical stimulation was used.



Figure 3.

Isometric tension vs. time from single experiment. Top: control TSM bathed in normal Krebs‐Henseleit solution (NS). Bottom: mechanical responses of muscle in Ca2+‐free solution and response to addition of Ca2+.



Figure 4.

Isometric tension vs. time after quick stretch applied at velocity 5 times greater than the maximum velocity of shortening of TSM. Magnitude of stretch was 10% of optimal length (lo).



Figure 5.

Load (or force)‐velocity curves for sensitized and control TSM; both set at their predetermined lo. Dotted lines: linearized transforms of hyperbolas. Abscissa and right‐hand ordinate are coordinates for linear transforms. Po, isometric force.



Figure 6.

Mean values for TSM shortening vs. tension (n = 11). Bars indicate ± SE.

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Newman L. Stephens. Postjunctional Factors in Airway Smooth Muscle Hyperresponsiveness. Compr Physiol 2011, Supplement 12: Handbook of Physiology, The Respiratory System, Mechanics of Breathing: 719-726. First published in print 1986. doi: 10.1002/cphy.cp030341