trans-Caryophyllene is a major component in the essential oils of various species of medicinal plants used in popular medicine in Brazil. It belongs to the chemical class of the sesquiterpenes and has been the subject of a number of studies. Here, we evaluated the effects of this compound in airway smooth muscle. The biological activities of trans-caryophyllene were examined in isolated bath or...

inhalational insulin was withdrawn from the market due to its potential to produce airway hyper-reactivity and bronchoconstriction. so the present study was designed to explore the acute effects of insulin on airway reactivity of guinea pigs and protective effects of salbutamol and beclomethasone against insulin induced airway hyper-responsiveness on isolated tracheal smooth muscle of guinea pi...

asthma  is a clinical syndrome  characterized by chronic  airway inflammation, airway responsiveness, and expiratory airflow limitation. nocturnal symptoms and decreases in lung function are common aspects of the asthma clinical syndrome. nocturnal symptoms also appear to be associated with asthma-related mortality. in addition to its importance to the regulation of human circadian rhythms, an ...

Purified myosin light chain kinase from smooth muscle is phosphorylated by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, protein kinase C, and the multifunctional calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II. Because phosphorylation in a specific site (site A) by any one of these kinases desensitizes myosin light chain kinase to activation by Ca2+/calmodulin, kinase phosphorylation could play an important rol...

Objective In previous studies, the relaxant, anticholinergic (functional antagonism), antihistaminic and its stimulatory effects on b-adrenoceptors of Nigella sativa have been demonstrated on guinea pig tracheal chains. In the present study, the relaxant effects of hydro-ethanolic, macerated aqueous (MA) and lipid-free macerated aqueous (LFMA) extract of Nigella sativa on tracheal chains of gu...

Chronic inflammation in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease drives pathological structural remodelling of the airways. Using tiotropium bromide, acetylcholine was recently identified as playing a major regulatory role in airway smooth muscle remodelling in a guinea pig model of ongoing allergic asthma. The aim of the present study was to investigate other aspects of airway remodell...

Effect of 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) on the potassium permeability of the cell membrane of canine tracheal smooth muscle was investigated using 86Rb-efflux. The 86Rb-efflux from the strip was remarkably increased by 20 mM 4-AP in normal physiological solution in the presence of 1 microM atropine. In high potassium and chloride deficient solution, 4-AP (0.3-20 mM) decreased the rate of 86Rb-efflux i...

The Lippia alba (Mill.) N.E. Brown (Verbenaceae) species, has effects sedative, analgesic and spasmolytic properties. This study had as its main objective to evaluate the essential oil of L. alba (EOLa) effect and that of its main constituents, citral and limonene, over tracheal smooth muscle from Wistar rats. EOLa, citral and limonene promoted relaxation of tracheal smooth muscle in contractio...

Menthol is used as a constituent of food and drink, tobacco and cosmetics nowadays. This cold receptor agonist has been used as a nasal inhalation solution in the daily life. The effect of menthol on nasal mucosa in vivo is well known; however, the effect of the drug on tracheal smooth muscle has been rarely explored. Therefore, during administration of the drug for nasal symptoms, it might als...