Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AV Groningen, The Netherlands.
Life Sci. 2012 Nov 27;91(21-22):1126-33. doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2012.02.021. Epub 2012 Mar 3.
Acetylcholine is the primary parasympathetic neurotransmitter in the airways and an autocrine/paracrine secreted hormone from non-neuronal origins including inflammatory cells and airway structural cells. In addition to the well-known functions of acetylcholine in regulating bronchoconstriction and mucus secretion, it is increasingly evident that acetylcholine regulates inflammatory cell chemotaxis and activation, and also participates in signaling events leading to chronic airway wall remodeling that is associated with chronic obstructive airway diseases including asthma and COPD. As muscarinic receptors appear responsible for most of the pro-inflammatory and remodeling effects of acetylcholine, these findings have significant implications for anticholinergic therapy in asthma and COPD, which is selective for muscarinic receptors. Here, the regulatory role of acetylcholine in inflammation and remodeling in asthma and COPD will be discussed including the perspectives that these findings offer for anticholinergic therapy in these diseases.
乙酰胆碱是气道中的主要副交感神经递质，也是一种自分泌/旁分泌的激素，由非神经元来源分泌，包括炎症细胞和气道结构细胞。除了乙酰胆碱在调节支气管收缩和黏液分泌方面的众所周知的功能外，越来越明显的是，乙酰胆碱调节炎症细胞趋化和激活，并且还参与导致与慢性阻塞性气道疾病（包括哮喘和 COPD）相关的慢性气道壁重塑的信号事件。由于毒蕈碱受体似乎对乙酰胆碱的大多数促炎和重塑作用负责，这些发现对哮喘和 COPD 中的抗胆碱能治疗具有重要意义，因为这些治疗是针对毒蕈碱受体的。本文将讨论乙酰胆碱在哮喘和 COPD 中的炎症和重塑中的调节作用，包括这些发现为这些疾病中的抗胆碱能治疗提供的观点。
