Neonatal capsaicin treatment alters basal pulmonary mechanics and response to methacholine in F344 rats.

Full methacholine dose-response curves were performed on anesthetized tracheostomized Fischer 344 adult rats treated neonatally with capsaicin (50 mg/kg) or with vehicle alone. Capsaicin, the hot extract of pepper, releases substance P (SP) from nonmyelinated sensory nerve endings and causes acute bronchoconstriction and airway microvascular leakiness. Chronic treatment with capsaicin leads to depletion of SP and other tachykinins from afferent C-fibers and can therefore be used as a tool to investigate the contribution of SP innervation to airway responses. The rats (9 controls and 6 treated with capsaicin) were paralyzed with succinylcholine and mechanically ventilated at a constant tidal volume and frequency. Airway resistance (RL) and dynamic compliance (Cdyn) were determined at each dose of methacholine from measurements of volume, flow, and transpulmonary pressure. Capsaicin-treated rats were found to have a significantly reduced baseline RL [0.150 +/- 0.039 (SD) vs. 0.225 +/- 0.050 cmH2O.ml-1.s, P = 0.009] and a correspondingly significantly elevated Cdyn (0.371 +/- 0.084 vs. 0.268 +/- 0.053 ml/cmH2O, P = 0.012). There was no significant difference in sensitivity to methacholine, but the maximal response to methacholine was significantly greater in the capsaicin-treated rats. In terms of RL, the maximal response for capsaicin-treated rats was 6.03 x baseline +/- 0.98 vs. 4.30 x baseline +/- 1.80 (P = 0.05) for controls, and for Cdyn changes the maximal decrease was 5.75 x baseline +/- 1.22 vs. 3.83 +/- 0.69 (P = 0.002). The observed differences in RL and Cdyn coupled with the differences in maximal responses can be attributed to the selective destruction of a subpopulation of pulmonary afferent C-fibers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)