Augmented bronchial smooth muscle contractility induced by aqueous cigarette smoke extract in rats

Hiroyasu Sakai; Ayako Watanabe; Akiko Fujita; Miwa Misawa; Minoru Narita; Yoshihiko Chiba

doi:10.1540/jsmr.50.39

Original

Augmented bronchial smooth muscle contractility induced by aqueous cigarette smoke extract in rats

Hiroyasu Sakai, Ayako Watanabe, Akiko Fujita, Miwa Misawa, Minoru Narita, Yoshihiko Chiba

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Keywords: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Bronchial smooth muscle, Airway hyperresponsiveness, Cigarette smoke

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2014 Volume 50 Pages 39-47

DOI https://doi.org/10.1540/jsmr.50.39

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Abstract

Cigarette smoking is the main risk factor for the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, little is known about the mechanisms of cigarette smoke-induced bronchial smooth muscle (BSM) hyperresponsiveness. In the present study, we investigated the effects of aqueous cigarette smoke extract (ACSE) on the BSM contraction in rats. The bronchial strips of rats were incubated with ACSE or control-extract for 24 h. The acetylcholine (ACh), high K⁺ depolarization and sodium fluoride (NaF)-induced BSM contraction of the ACSE-treated group was significantly augmented as compared to that of the control one. The expression levels of both myosin light-chain kinase (MLCK) and RhoA were significantly increased in the ACSE-treated BSM. These findings suggest that the water-soluble components of cigarette smoke may cause BSM hyperresponsiveness via an increase in MLCK and RhoA.

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