Lb. Fernandes, PHOSPHODIESTERASE INHIBITORS AND ENDOTHELIN AS MODULATORS OF RESPIRATORY NEUROTRANSMISSION, Clinical and experimental pharmacology and physiology, 23(10-11), 1996, pp. 980-982
1. Airway smooth muscle receives cholinergic, adrenergic and non-adren
ergic, non-cholinergic (NANC) neural input. In guinea-pig airways chol
inergic and NANC nerves provide contractile innervation, while adrener
gic and NANC nerves provide relaxant pathways. In contrast, the major
relaxant innervation in human airways is NANC in nature. 2. The presen
t review describes the effects or selective phosphodiesterase (PDE) in
hibitors on NANC relaxant and contractile responses in guinea-pig trac
hea as well as on NANC relaxations in human bronchus. 3. The effects o
f endothelin-1 on cholinergic contractile responses obtained in a vari
ety of species are also assessed.