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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.

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.



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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How to Cite

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