Role of ciliary motility in acute allergic mucociliary dysfunction

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if abnormal ciliary function contributes to allergic mucociliary dysfunction. In conscious sheep with Ascaris suum hypersensitivity, ciliated cells were obtained with a cytology brush and tracheal mucous velocity (TMV) was determined before and serially for 2 h following antigen inhalation. The recovered cells (also containing mast cells) were suspended in a chamber, and ciliary activity was viewed microscopically and recorded on videotape for subsequent slow-motion analysis of ciliary beat frequency (CBF). One hour after A. suum challenge mean CBF (+/- SE) showed a slight increase from a base-line value of 630 +/- 16 to 716 +/- 30 beats/min (P less than 0.05) when mean TMV was decreased to 57% of base line (P less than 0.05). After 2 h, both mean CBF and TMV returned toward base line. Since possible in vivo actions of chemical mediators liberated by antigen challenge may have been lost after suspension of the brushed cells, we also assessed the effects of antigen on CBF in vitro. A. suum caused a dose-dependent increase in CBF that was blocked by cromolyn sodium. We conclude that 1) allergic mucociliary dysfunction is not caused by a decrease in CBF and 2) antigen-induced release of chemical mediators increases CBF

Effects of ozone on lamb tracheal mucosa. Quantitative glycoconjugate histochemistry.

Whether or not the previously reported O3-induced abnormality in the postnatal development of tracheal secretory function in lambs is accompanied by changes in epithelial cell populations and their glycoconjugate composition was determined. Six lambs were killed at birth and 12 lambs at age 2 weeks. Of the latter 12, six were exposed to O3 (1 ppm, 4 hours daily for 5 days during the 1st week of life) and five had air-sham exposures (controls). Tracheal glycoconjugates were localized in situ with lectins to detect N-acetyl-galactosamine (galNAc), alpha-D-galactose (alpha-gal), beta-D-gal(1----3)-galNAc (beta-gal), and fucose (fuc). Mean (+/- SD) epithelial cell density (cells/mm basal lamina) was 418 +/- 57 in the newborns, 385 +/- 63 in controls (P was not significant), and 342 +/- 47 in O3-exposed lambs (P less than 0.05). Mucous cell density was 87 +/- 12 in newborns, 63 +/- 10 in controls (P less than 0.05), and 76 +/- 10 in O3 exposed lambs (P was not significant). Ciliated cells remained unchanged from birth to 2 weeks (P was not significant), but decreased (P less than 0.05) in O3-exposed lambs. All counted mucous cells contained fuc and galNAc at birth and retained these residues after sham and O3 exposure. The alpha-gal-containing mucous cells declined from 97 +/- 13 to 7 +/- 1 (P less than 0.05) and beta-gal containing cells from 39 +/- 5 to 25 +/- 4 in controls. In contrast, cells containing alpha-gal 71 +/- 10 remained at newborn levels (97 +/- 13) and beta-gal-containing cells increased from 40 +/- 5 at birth to 58 +/- 8 in O3-exposed animals (P less than 0.05). It was concluded that early postnatal exposure of lambs to O3 causes a decrease in epithelial cell density, but retards the developmental decrease in the number of tracheal mucous cells and alters the lectin detectable carbohydrate composition of mucus in these cells. These developmental defects were interpreted to be the morphologic correlates of the previously shown effects of O3 on the maturation of secretory function and mucus transport

Norepinephrine-induced contraction of isolated rabbit bronchial artery: role of alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptor activation

The contractile effect of norepinephrine (NE) on isolated rabbit bronchial artery rings (150-300 microns in diameter) and the role of alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptors (AR) on smooth muscle and endothelium were studied. In intact arteries, NE increased tension in a dose-dependent manner, and the sensitivity for NE was further increased in the absence of endothelium. In intact but not in endothelium-denuded arteries, the response to NE was increased in the presence of both indomethacin (Indo; cyclooxygenase inhibitor) and NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester [L-NAME; nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor], indicating that two endothelium-derived factors, NO and a prostanoid, modulate the NE-induced contraction. The alpha 1-AR antagonist prazosin shifted the NE dose-response curve to the right, and phenylephrine (alpha 1-AR agonist) induced a dose-dependent contraction that was potentiated by L-NAME or removal of the endothelium. The sensitivity to NE was increased slightly by the alpha 2-AR antagonists yohimbine and idazoxan, and this effect was abolished by Indo or removal of the endothelium. Similarly, contractions induced by UK-14304 (alpha 2-AR agonist) were potentiated by Indo or removal of the endothelium. These results suggest that NE-induced contraction is mediated through activation of alpha 1- and alpha 2-ARs on both smooth muscle and endothelium. Activation of the alpha 1- and alpha 2-ARs on the smooth muscle causes contraction, whereas activation of the endothelial alpha 1- and alpha 2-ARs induces relaxation through release of NO (alpha 1-ARs) and a prostanoid (alpha 2-ARs)

Effect of ozone on the postnatal development of lamb mucociliary apparatus

We determined whether exposure to O3 early in the postnatal period impairs the normal development of the mucociliary apparatus in lambs and whether such changes lead to prolonged abnormalities in mucociliary function. Lambs were exposed to air (controls) or to 1 ppm O3 for 4 h/day for 5 days during the 1st wk of life. Tracheal mucus velocity (TMV), a marker of lung mucociliary clearance, was measured in vivo at birth (0 wk) and up to 24 wk later, and tracheal secretory function was measured (in vitro) and the morphology of the tracheal mucosa was determined at 0 and 2 wk in both groups. In the control group, TMV increased 94% from 0 to 2 wk (P less than 0.05), continued to increase until reaching a plateau at 8 wk, and then remained constant from 8 to 24 wk. In contrast, O3-exposed lambs showed a 24% decrease in TMV from 0 to 2 wk (P less than 0.05 vs. control), and throughout the remaining time TMV remained below (P less than 0.05) that observed in control lambs. O3 exposure partially prevented the age-dependent decrease in basal secretion of tracheal macromolecules normally observed between 0 and 2 wk. These changes in secretory function were associated with a significant increase in tissue conductance (37%, P less than 0.05 vs. 0 wk), predominantly the result of active chloride secretion. The functional changes induced by O3 were associated with a retardation of the normal morphological development of the tracheal epithelium

Cellular Markers of Inflammation in the Airways of Allergic Sheep with and without Allergen-induced Late Responses

Allergic sheep respond to inhaled Ascaris suum antigen either with an acute bronchoconstriction alone (acute responders, AR) or both an acute and late bronchoconstriction (dual responders, DR). In this study, we determined if: (1) inflammatory cell composition of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) obtained during the late response differs between DR and AR; (2) the difference in inflammatory cells is dependent on the prechallenge BAL cell composition; and (3) drugs that block late airway responses also modify this airway inflammation. Antigen challenge caused significant immediate mean increases in specific lung resistance (SRL) both in DR (n = 28) and in AR (n = 14), but only DR had a late increase in SRL. There were no differences between the two groups in total cell returns or in the percentage of neutrophils in BAL 7.5 to 8 h after challenge, but DR had a 3.5-fold increase (p less than 0.05) in the percentage of eosinophils. Methylprednisolone succinate (15 mg/kg intravenously) given to DR (n = 7) 3 h after antigen challenge blocked the late airway response and the eosinophil response. When BAL was performed both before and after (i.e., 7.5 to 8 h) antigen challenge, similar results were observed: AR (n = 7) and DR (n = 14) exhibited characteristic airway responses. No significant differences in prechallenge BAL cell composition were observed between AR and DR; after challenge both groups showed increases in neutrophils, but only the DR showed an increase (p less than 0.05) in eosinophils. Pretreatment of DR with the antiallergic agents (cromolyn sodium or nedocromil sodium aerosol, 20 mg) blocked the immediate and late responses and the late increase in BAL eosinophils