Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., Volume 159, Number 2, February 1999, 423-430

Involvement of Tachykinin NK₁ Receptor in the Development of Allergen-induced Airway Hyperreactivity and Airway Inflammation in Conscious, Unrestrained Guinea Pigs

MARTIN SCHUILING, ANNET B. ZUIDHOF, JOHAN ZAAGSMA, and HERMAN MEURS

Department of Molecular Pharmacology, University Centre for Pharmacy, Groningen, The Netherlands

It has been suggested that tachykinin NK₁ receptor-mediated neurogenic inflammation, characterized by microvascular leakage, mucus secretion, and infiltration and activation of inflammatory cells in the airways, may be involved in allergic asthma. Therefore, in a guinea pig model of allergic asthma, we investigated the involvement of the NK₁ receptor in allergen-induced early (EAR) and late (LAR) asthmatic reactions, airway hyperreactivity (AHR) after these reactions and airway inflammation, using the selective nonpeptide NK₁ receptor antagonist SR140333. On two different occasions, separated by 1 wk interval, OA-sensitized guinea pigs inhaled either saline (3 min) or SR140333 (100 nM, 3 min) at 30 min before as well as at 5.5 h after OA provocation (between the EAR and LAR) in a random crossover design. A control group, receiving saline inhalations before and at 5.5 h after the two OA provocations, was included as well. SR140333 had no significant effect on either the EAR or the LAR compared with saline control inhalations. However, the NK₁ receptor antagonist significantly reduced the OA-induced AHR to histamine, both after the EAR at 5 h after OA challenge (1.77 ± 0.13-fold increase in histamine reactivity versus 2.50 ± 0.25-fold increase in the control animals, p < 0.01) and after the LAR at 23 h after OA challenge (1.15 ± 0.12-fold increase versus 1.98 ± 0.34-fold increase, respectively, p < 0.05). Moreover, bronchoalveolar lavage studies performed at 25 h after the second OA provocation indicated that SR140333 significantly inhibited the allergen-induced infiltration of eosinophils, neutrophils, and lymphocytes in the airways (p < 0.05 for all observations), whereas a tendency to reduced accumulation of ciliated epithelial cells in the airway lumen was observed (p = 0.10). These results indicate that the NK₁ receptor is involved in the development of allergen-induced AHR to histamine, and that NK₁ receptor-mediated infiltration of inflammatory cells in the airways may contribute to this AHR.

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