Lavinka Pamela Colleen, Dong Xingzhong
The Solomon H, Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Center for Sensory Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 N Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
Cough. 2013 Mar 6;9(1):8. doi: 10.1186/1745-9974-9-8.
Itch is described as an unpleasant sensation that elicits the desire to scratch, which results in the removal of the irritant from the skin. The cough reflex also results from irritation, with the purpose of removing said irritant from the airway. Could cough then be similar to itch? Anatomically, both pathways are mediated by small-diameter sensory fibers. These cough and itch sensory fibers release neuropeptides upon activation, which leads to inflammation of the nerves. Both cough and itch also involve mast cells and their mediators, which are released upon degranulation. This common inflammation and interaction with mast cells are involved in the development of chronic conditions of itch and cough. In this review, we examine the anatomy and molecular mechanisms of itch and compare them to known mechanisms for cough. Highlighting the common aspects of itch and cough could lead to new thoughts and perspectives in both fields.
瘙痒被描述为一种引起搔抓欲望的不愉快感觉，搔抓可使刺激物从皮肤上去除。咳嗽反射同样源于刺激，目的是将气道中的刺激物清除。那么咳嗽会与瘙痒相似吗？从解剖学角度来看，这两种途径均由小直径感觉纤维介导。这些咳嗽和瘙痒感觉纤维在激活时会释放神经肽，从而导致神经炎症。咳嗽和瘙痒还都涉及肥大细胞及其介质，肥大细胞脱颗粒时会释放这些介质。这种共同的炎症反应以及与肥大细胞的相互作用参与了慢性瘙痒和咳嗽病症的发展。在本综述中，我们研究了瘙痒的解剖结构和分子机制，并将它们与已知的咳嗽机制进行比较。突出瘙痒和咳嗽的共同方面可能会在这两个领域引发新的思路和观点。
