PRESENCE OF BRONCHOALVEOLAR LAVAGE FLUID NECESSARY FOR PLATELET-ACTIVATING FACTOR-INDUCED CILIARY DEPRESSION

Many different mediators have been implicated in allergic responses an d allergic diseases of the respiratory tract. The influence of several allergic inflammatory mediators on the ciliary activity has been well studied. However, ciliary responsiveness to platelet-activating facto r (PAF) is yet to be established conclusively. Our study concerns the response of normal tracheal cilia from the guinea pig during an in vit ro contact with PAF. PBF at concentrations between 10(-10) and 10(-8) M never affected the ciliary activity. On the other hand, such concent rations of PAF inhibited the ciliary activity in a dose-response fashi on within 5 min in the presence of alveolar macrophages. Such a ciliar y dysfunction should allow allergens and other molecules to easily inv ade epithelium and submucosa of the airway, resulting in an increased epithelial permeability which might be a mild manifestation of airway hyperresponiveness and make a significant contribution to further airw ay hyperresponsiveness.