Lung and airway tissues

Unlike their counterparts in skin, the epidermal Lange-rhans cell (LC) population, respiratory tract DC populations display limited expression of intracellular Birbeck granules (Bg). These are found only occasionally in sections of normal lung tissue in mouse and human lung and airway tissue samples (Hanau etaL, 1985 Sertl etal., 1987 Soler et al., 1989) and are virtually absent in rat (P.G. Holt, unpublished). They are found in increased frequency in airway tissues of human smokers (Soler et 0.1., 1989), which suggests that Bg expression may require local stimulation for initial induction (Hanau et al., 1985). 

Holt, P.G. (1993). Regulation of antigen-presenting cell func-tion(s) in lung and airway tissues. Eur. Respir. J. 6,120-129. 

TRPV4 was identified a decade ago as an osmotransducer that is expressed in lung, heart, kidney, airway muscle cells, sensory neurons, brain, skin, gut, sympathetic nerves, inner ear, endothelium, and fat tissue [58-61]. TRPV4 is activated by heat (27-34°C), endogenous substances such as anandamide (59, AA) and the arachi-donic acid metabolite 5,6-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (60, 5,6-EET), a plant dimeric diterpenoid bisandrographolide A (61, BAA), and the semisynthetic phorbol ester 4a-phorbol-12,13-didecanoate (62, 4a-PDD) [62],... 

The earliest studies of solute transfer in the IPL were performed with the aim of measuring the permeability of the lung [156], These studies utilised the simplest form of the IPL in which the lungs can be fluid-filled rather than naturally air-filled, and measured the permeability of the lungs of a variety of species to mannitol and sucrose [156], The permeability of these small hydrophilic compounds in the fluid-filled IPL, which is thought to measure predominately alveolar permeability, was markedly lower than permeability in ex vivo airway tissue. 

To model sulfur dioxide absorption by the blood through the walls of the upper airways, as demonstrated by Frank et one must include the transport rates of sulfur dioxide across a mucus-tissue interface, a tissue layer, and a tissue-blood interface (Figure 7-2). For the case of release of dissolved gas back into the exhaled air, which is depleted of gas in the lower lung, the mucus layer would still represent the greatest resistance to transfer. Consequently, the overall transfer coefficient, kg, would still be given by ki/H. 

Widespread fibrosis in the lung causes tissue and airway disruption and can create air-filled cavities or cysts of various sizes. Commonly, cavities are filled with secretions, appearing radiographically as multiple sausageshaped opacities. In the late stages opacity spreads throughout both the upper and lower lobes of the lungs (Fig. 3.7). 

Gee, J. B. L. (1984). Occupational Lung Diseases. Vol. 2. of Contemporary Issues in Pulmonary Disease. Churchill Livingstone, New York, especially J. Riley, Pulmonary coimective tissue, pp. 1-23 M. R. Becklake and P. Ernst, Asbestos exposure and airway responses, pp. 25-42 J. E. Lockey and M. Moatmed, Health implications of non-asbestos fibers, pp. 43-59. 

Dixon AK, Gubitz AK, Sirinathsinghji DJ, Richardson PJ, Freeman TC (1996) Tissue distribution of adenosine receptor mRNAs in the rat. Br J Pharmacol 118(6) 1461—1468 Douillet CD, Robinson WP 3rd, Zarzaur BL, Lazarowski ER, Boucher RC, Rich PB (2005) Mechanical ventilation alters airway nucleotides and purinoceptors in lung and extrapulmonary organs. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 32(l) 52-58... 

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