Airway smooth muscle contraction

Within 30 minutes of their administration, 6 -adrenergic drugs often reverse most of the functional deficit in Monday morning byssinotics. As there is no mucous secretion, airway smooth muscle contraction is considered the primary response. Exposure of man to histamine aerosols produces pulmonary function changes similar to those seen after exposure to dust extract. However, exposure to histamine aerosol invariably initiates constriction of smooth muscle more rapidly than exposure to cotton dust ( <15 minutes), and dissipates within minutes, while the acute effects of inhalation of cotton dust and dust extracts lasts for hours. The slowly developing and prolonged effects of dust and extracts suggest that mediators other than histamine are involved. 

Watanabe, T, Locket, R.F., and Krzanowski, J.J. 1988. Airway smooth muscle contraction induced by Ptychodiscus brevis (red tide) toxin as related to a trigger mechanism of bronchial asthma. Immunol Allergy Pract 10, 185-192. 

Martin, H.B., Stofer, D.S. and Eichinger, M.R. (2000) Kavain inhibits murine airway smooth muscle contraction. Planta Medica, 66, 601—606. 

Ito S, Kume H, Shiraki A, Kondo M, Makino Y, Kamiya K, Hasegawa Y (2008) Inhibition by the cold receptor agonists menthol and icilin of airway smooth muscle contraction. Pulm Pharmacol Ther 21 812... 

Csete ME, Chediak AD, Abraham WM, Wanner A. Airway blood flow modifies allergic airway smooth muscle contraction. Am Rev Respir Dis 1991 144 59-63. 

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