MODULATION OF SENSORY NERVE FUNCTION IN THE AIRWAYS

Several clinical studies document a greater discrimination between ast hmatic and healthy subjects in bronchial responsiveness to a range of stimuli such as cold air, distilled water and sodium metabisulphite, t han to conventional bronchoconstrictor agonists including histamine an d methacholine. One of the mechanisms thought to account for the bronc hoconstriction induced by these agents is via reflex activation of the cholinergic pathway. An increase in sensory nerve (afferent) activity in asthma might account for the increased responsiveness to these age nts. If so, a number of strategies are available to inhibit the functi on of afferent nerves which could lead to a suppression of bronchial h yperresponsiveness, including (1) inhibition of afferent activity, (2) inhibition of neuropeptide release and (3) antagonism of tachykinin r eceptors. As there are numerous reviews dealing with the latter, in th is review Domenico Spina, Saloni Shah and Selena Harrison focus on the first two strategies.