MECHANISM OF IRRITANT-INDUCED COUGH - STUDIES WITH A KININ ANTAGONISTAND A KALLIKREIN INHIBITOR

It has been suggested that bradykinin may play a role in stimulating c ough in at least one pathological condition in humans, We have employe d an animal model to investigate the possible role of this peptide in irritant-induced cough. The kinin antagonist Hoe 140 and codeine both produced dose-related inhibition of cough responses to inhalation of c itric acid or bradykinin aerosols by conscious guinea pigs, The select ive tissue kallikrein inhibitor CH694 inhibited cough caused by citric acid but not by bradykinin. Indomethacin pretreatment attenuated the responses to both stimuli as did phosphoramidon. It is concluded that cough produced by citric acid inhalation may be mediated, at least in part, by generation of kinins; secondary to this, a release of prostan oids also appears to participate in the response.