Rodger I W
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK.
Br Med Bull. 1992 Jan;48(1):97-107. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.bmb.a072545.
It has been recognised for some considerable time that contraction of airway smooth muscle is largely responsible for the bronchospasm that is a characteristic feature of the acute phase of an asthmatic attack. It is also well accepted that airway smooth muscle of asthmatic subjects is hyperresponsive to a wide range of provoking stimuli. One might anticipate, therefore, that a substantial amount would be known about the physiological role of airway smooth muscle. Surprisingly, this is not the case. The purpose of this article, therefore, is to provide an overview of airway smooth muscle with special reference to contractile mechanisms since they are, clearly, of relevance in asthma. In addressing this remit the following subject matter has been covered--structural aspects of the airway smooth muscle cell, electrical and calcium ion channel characteristics of the cell membrane, signal transduction mechanisms in relation to excitation-contraction coupling and the biochemical basis of contraction.
在相当长的一段时间里，人们已经认识到气道平滑肌的收缩在很大程度上导致了支气管痉挛，而支气管痉挛是哮喘发作急性期的一个特征。人们也普遍认为，哮喘患者的气道平滑肌对多种激发刺激具有高反应性。因此，有人可能会预期，人们对气道平滑肌的生理作用应该已经有了相当多的了解。令人惊讶的是，情况并非如此。因此，本文的目的是对气道平滑肌进行概述，特别提及收缩机制，因为它们显然与哮喘相关。在阐述这一主题时，涵盖了以下内容——气道平滑肌细胞的结构方面、细胞膜的电特性和钙离子通道特性、与兴奋 - 收缩偶联相关的信号转导机制以及收缩的生化基础。
