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Challenge‐induced plasma exudation and mucinous secretion in human airways
Author(s) -
Greiff Lennart,
Andersson Morgan,
Coman William B.,
Lindberg Henrik,
MarkoVarga Gyorgy,
Wallwork Ben,
Persson Carl G. A.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
clinical physiology and functional imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.608
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1475-097X
pISSN - 1475-0961
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-097x.2005.00615.x
Subject(s) - histamine , medicine , secretion , immunology , mucin , methacholine , innate immune system , endocrinology , pathology , immune system , lung , respiratory disease
Summary Secretion of mucins and exudation of plasma are distinct processes of importance to innate immunity and inflammatory disease. Yet, little is known about their relation in human airways. The objective of the present study was to use the human nasal airway to determine mucinous secretion and plasma exudation in response to common challenge agents and mediators. Ten healthy volunteers were subjected to nasal challenge‐lavage procedures. Thus, the nasal mucosa was exposed to increasing doses of histamine (40 and 400 μ g ml −1 ), methacholine (12·5 and 25 mg) and capsaicin (30 and 300 ng ml −1 ). Fucose was selected as a global marker of mucinous secretion and α 2 ‐macroglobulin as an index of exudation of bulk plasma. All challenge agents increased the mucosal output of fucose to about the same level ( P <0·01–0·05). Once significant secretion had been induced the subsequently increased dose of the challenge agent, in the case of histamine and methacholine, failed to further increase the response. Only histamine increased the mucosal output of α 2 ‐macroglobulin ( P <0·01). We conclude that prompt but potentially rapidly depleted mucinous secretion is common to different kinds of airway challenges, whereas inflammatory histamine‐type mediators are required to produce plasma exudation. Along with the acknowledged secretion of mucins, a practically non‐depletable, pluripotent mucosal output of plasma emerges as an important component of the innate immunity of human airways.