KEY POINTS Transforming growth-factor-β (TGF-β) and RhoA/Rho-kinase are independently implicated in the airway hyper-responsiveness associated with asthma, but how these proteins interact is not fully understood. We examined the effects of pre-treatment with TGF-β on expression and activity of RhoA, Rho-kinase and ARHGEF1, an activator of RhoA, as well as on bradykinin-induced contraction, in a...

Increased airway responsiveness (AR) is one of the main pathophysiological manifestations of asthma. The present study aimed to define the clinical features associated with increased AR in infants with recurrent lower respiratory tract symptoms. AR was evaluated by performing a novel dosimetric methacholine challenge test. Increased AR to methacholine, defined as a methacholine dose of < or =0....

For many years the development of thyrotoxicosis has been known to cause a deterioration in asthma but the mechanism is unknown. We have studied the effect of thyroid function on airway beta adrenergic responsiveness in 10 hyperthyroid and six hypothyroid subjects before and after treatment of their thyroid disease. Airway adrenergic responsiveness was assessed by measuring specific airway cond...

Exposure to ozone causes symptoms, changes in lung function, and airway inflammation. We studied whether individuals who differ in lung-function responsiveness to ozone, or in smoking status, also differ in susceptibility to airway inflammation. Healthy subjects were selected on the basis of responsiveness to a classifying exposure to 0.22 ppm ozone for 4 h with exercise (responders, with a dec...

In certain models of allergic airway disease, mast cells facilitate the development of inflammation and airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR). To define the role of the high affinity IgE receptor (FcepsilonRI) in the development of AHR, mice with a disruption of the alpha subunit of the high affinity IgE receptor (FcepsilonRI(-/-)) were exposed on 10 consecutive days to nebulized OVA. Forty-eight h...

Children from smoking mothers have an increased risk of developing asthma for reasons largely unknown. The effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy on remodelling, allergic airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness in offspring were investigated in an experimental asthma model. Mice were exposed to fresh air or cigarette smoke from 3 weeks prior to conception until birth. Offspring were e...

We wanted to determine whether the airway response to inhaled leukotriene C4 (LTC4) is similar to inhaled leukotriene E4 (LTE4) in aspirin-sensitive asthma and, therefore, determined airway responsiveness to histamine, LTC4 and LTE4 in seven aspirin-sensitive subjects and 13 control asthmatic subjects, who were tolerant of aspirin. The concentration of inhaled lysine-aspirin which produced a 15...

TOUCH MEDICAL MEDIA Airway inflammatory diseases are assessed and managed via multiple measurements, including airway caliber, airway responsiveness, and airway inflammation. Exacerbations post diagnosis is also a critical marker in terms of disease status and progression. Currently, diagnosis and monitoring of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is based largely on symptom ...

Airway development is only one of the factors that is important in the pathogenesis of complex respiratory disorders such as asthma and chronic airflow limitation. For example, knowledge of the interactions between the developing lung, genetic, environmental, and immunological factors is essential if progress is to be made in early diagnosis and the development of new interventions aimed at red...