Cardiotrophin-1 alters airway smooth muscle structure and mechanical properties in airway explants

2004 ◽  
Vol 287 (6) ◽  
pp. L1165-L1171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xueyan Zheng ◽  
Danyi Zhou ◽  
Chun Y. Seow ◽  
Tony R Bai
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Airway Smooth Muscle ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Treated Group ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Passive Tension ◽  
Airway Wall ◽  
Optimal Length ◽  
Functional Changes

Induction of hypertrophy and inhibition of apoptosis may be important mechanisms contributing to increased airway smooth muscle (ASM) mass in asthma. Data from our laboratory indicate that cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) induces hypertrophy and inhibits apoptosis in isolated human ASM cells. To determine whether these novel effects of CT-1 also occur in the airway tissue milieu and to determine whether structural changes are accompanied by functional changes, matched pairs of guinea pig airway explants were treated with or without CT-1 for 7 days, and structural features as well as isometric and isotonic contractile and relaxant mechanical properties were measured. CT-1 (0.2–5 ng/ml) increased both myocyte mass and extracellular matrix in a concentration-dependent fashion. CT-1 (10 ng/ml)-treated tissues exhibited a significant increase in passive tension at all lengths on day 7; at optimal length, passive tension generated by CT-1-treated tissues was 1.72 ± 0.12 vs. 1.0 ± 0.1 g for control. Maximal isometric stress was decreased in the CT-1-treated group on day 7 (0.39 ± 0.10 kg/cm2) vs. control (0.77 ± 0.15 kg/cm2, P < 0.05). Isoproterenol-induced relaxant potency was reduced in CT-1-treated tissues, log EC50 being −7.28 ± 0.34 vs. −8.12 ± 0.25 M in control, P < 0.05. These data indicate that CT-1 alters ASM structural and mechanical properties in the tissue environment and suggest that structural changes found in the airway wall in asthma are not necessarily associated with increased responsiveness.

Airway smooth muscle tone modulates mechanically induced cytoskeletal stiffening and remodeling

2005 ◽  
Vol 99 (2) ◽  
pp. 634-641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linhong Deng ◽  
Nigel J. Fairbank ◽  
Darren J. Cole ◽  
Jeffrey J. Fredberg ◽  
Geoffrey N. Maksym
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Mechanical Stress ◽  
Applied Stress ◽  
Airway Smooth Muscle ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Muscle Tone ◽  
Residual Effects ◽  
Cell Stiffness ◽  
Functional Changes

The application of mechanical stresses to the airway smooth muscle (ASM) cell causes time-dependent cytoskeletal stiffening and remodeling (Deng L, Fairbank NJ, Fabry B, Smith PG, and Maksym GN. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 287: C440–C448, 2004). We investigated here the extent to which these behaviors are modulated by the state of cell activation (tone). Localized mechanical stress was applied to the ASM cell in culture via oscillating beads (4.5 μm) that were tightly bound to the actin cytoskeleton (CSK). Tone was reduced from baseline level using a panel of relaxant agonists (10−3 M dibutyryl cAMP, 10−4 M forskolin, or 10−6 M formoterol). To assess functional changes, we measured cell stiffness (G′) using optical magnetic twisting cytometry, and to assess structural changes of the CSK we measured actin accumulation in the neighborhood of the bead. Applied mechanical stress caused a twofold increase in G′ at 120 min. After cessation of applied stress, G′ diminished only 24 ± 6% (mean ± SE) at 1 h, leaving substantial residual effects that were largely irreversible. However, applied stress-induced stiffening could be prevented by ablation of tone. Ablation of tone also inhibited the amount of actin accumulation induced by applied mechanical stress ( P < 0.05). Thus the greater the contractile tone, the greater was applied stress-induced CSK stiffening and remodeling. As regards pathobiology of asthma, this suggests a maladaptive positive feedback in which tone potentiates ASM remodeling and stiffening that further increases stress and possibly leads to worsening airway function.

Myosin thick filament lability induced by mechanical strain in airway smooth muscle

2001 ◽  
Vol 90 (5) ◽  
pp. 1811-1816 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuo-Hsing Kuo ◽  
Lu Wang ◽  
Peter D. Paré ◽  
Lincoln E. Ford ◽  
Chun Y. Seow
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Airway Smooth Muscle ◽  
Cross Sections ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Isometric Force ◽  
Mechanical Strain ◽  
Thick Filament ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Thick Filaments ◽  
Length Changes

Airway smooth muscle adapts to different lengths with functional changes that suggest plastic alterations in the filament lattice. To look for structural changes that might be associated with this plasticity, we studied the relationship between isometric force generation and myosin thick filament density in cell cross sections, measured by electron microscope, after length oscillations applied to the relaxed porcine trachealis muscle. Muscles were stimulated regularly for 12 s every 5 min. Between two stimulations, the muscles were submitted to repeated passive ±30% length changes. This caused tetanic force and thick-filament density to fall by 21 and 27%, respectively. However, in subsequent tetani, both force and filament density recovered to preoscillation levels. These findings indicate that thick filaments in airway smooth muscle are labile, depolymerization of the myosin filaments can be induced by mechanical strain, and repolymerization of the thick filaments underlies force recovery after the oscillation. This thick-filament lability would greatly facilitate plastic changes of lattice length and explain why airway smooth muscle is able to function over a large length range.

Tissue elastance influences airway smooth muscle shortening: comparison of mechanical properties among different species

2002 ◽  
Vol 80 (9) ◽  
pp. 865-871 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anabelle M. Opazo Saez ◽  
R Robert Schellenberg ◽  
Mara S Ludwig ◽  
Richard A Meiss ◽  
Peter D Paré
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Airway Smooth Muscle ◽  
Isometric Force ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Passive Tension ◽  
Active Force ◽  
Muscle Shortening ◽  
Human Airways ◽  
Tissue Elastance

We have observed striking differences in the mechanical properties of airway smooth muscle preparations among different species. In this study, we provide a novel analysis on the influence of tissue elastance on smooth muscle shortening using previously published data from our laboratory. We have found that isolated human airways exhibit substantial passive tension in contrast to airways from the dog and pig, which exhibit little passive tension (<5% of maximal active force versus ~60% for human bronchi). In the dog and pig, airway preparations shorten up to 70% from Lmax (the length at which maximal active force occurs), whereas human airways shorten by only ~12% from Lmax. Isolated airways from the rabbit exhibit relatively low passive tension (~22% Fmax) and shorten by 60% from Lmax. Morphologic evaluation of airway cross sections revealed that 25-35% of the airway wall is muscle in canine, porcine, and rabbit airways in contrast to ~9% in human airway preparations. We postulate that the large passive tension needed to stretch the muscle to Lmax reflects the high connective tissue content surrounding the smooth muscle, which limits shortening during smooth muscle contraction by imposing an elastic load, as well as by causing radial constraint.Key words: isometric force, isotonic shortening, elastance.

scholarly journals Repeated airway constrictions in mice do not alter respiratory function

2018 ◽  
Vol 124 (6) ◽  
pp. 1483-1490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Mailhot-Larouche ◽  
Louis Deschênes ◽  
Morgan Gazzola ◽  
Katherine Lortie ◽  
Cyndi Henry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Airway Smooth Muscle ◽  
Respiratory System ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Respiratory Mechanics ◽  
Airway Remodeling ◽  
Structural Components ◽  
Airway Wall ◽  
Cell Hyperplasia ◽  
Shed Light

It is suggested that the frequent strain the airways undergo in asthma because of repeated airway smooth muscle (ASM)-mediated constrictions contributes to airway wall remodeling. However, the effects of repeated constrictions on airway remodeling, as well as the ensuing impact of this presumptive remodeling on respiratory mechanics, have never been investigated in subjects without asthma. In this study, we set out to determine whether repeated constrictions lead to features that are reminiscent of asthma in mice without asthma. BALB/c mice were subjected to a 30-min constriction elicited by aerosolized methacholine every other day over 6 wk. Forty-eight hours after the last constriction, the mechanics of the respiratory system was evaluated at baseline and in response to incremental doses of nebulized methacholine with the flexiVent. The whole-lung lavages, the tracheas, and the lungs were also collected to evaluate inflammation, the contractile capacity of ASM, and the structural components of the airway wall, respectively. The resistance and the compliance of the respiratory system, as well as the Newtonian resistance and the resistive and elastic properties of the lung tissue, were not affected by repeated constrictions, both at baseline and in response to methacholine. All the other examined features also remained unaltered, except the number of goblet cells in the epithelium and the number of macrophages in the whole-lung lavages, which both increased with repeated constrictions. This study demonstrates that, despite causing goblet cell hyperplasia and a mild macrophagic inflammation, repeated constrictions with methacholine do not lead to structural changes that adversely impact the physiology. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Repeated airway constrictions led to signs of remodeling that are typically observed in asthma, which neither altered respiratory mechanics nor the contractile capacity of airway smooth muscle. These findings shed light on a debate between those claiming that constrictions induce remodeling and those convinced that methacholine challenges are harmless. Insofar as our results with mice relate to humans, the findings indicate that repeated challenges with methacholine can be performed safely.

Chronic inflation of ferret lungs with CPAP reduces airway smooth muscle contractility in vivo and in vitro

2008 ◽  
Vol 104 (3) ◽  
pp. 610-615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Xue ◽  
L. Zhang ◽  
Y. Liu ◽  
S. J. Gunst ◽  
R. S. Tepper
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Mechanical Stress ◽  
Chronic Stress ◽  
Airway Smooth Muscle ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Airway Responsiveness ◽  
Wall Structure ◽  
Airway Wall

The mechanical stress imposed on the lungs during breathing is an important modulator of airway responsiveness in vivo. Our recent study demonstrated that continuous positive airway pressure applied to the lungs of nonanesthetized, tracheotomized rabbits for 4 days decreased lower respiratory system responsiveness to challenge with ACh (Xue Z, Zhang L, Ramchandani R, Liu Y, Antony VB, Gunst SJ, Tepper RS. J. Appl Physiol 99: 677–682, 2005). In addition, airway segments excised from the lungs of these animals and studied in vitro exhibited reduced contractility. However, the mechanism for this reduction in contractility was not determined. The stress-induced decrease in airway responsiveness could have resulted from alterations in the excitation-contraction coupling mechanisms of the smooth muscle cells, or it might reflect changes in the structure and/or composition of the airway wall tissues. In the present study, we assessed the effect of prolonged chronic stress of the lungs in vivo on airway smooth muscle force generation, myosin light chain phosphorylation, and airway wall structure. To enhance the potential development of stress-induced structural changes, we applied mechanical stress for a prolonged period of time of 2–3 wk. Our results demonstrate a direct connection between the decreased airway responsiveness caused by chronic mechanical stress of the lungs in vivo and a persistent decrease in contractile protein activation in the airway smooth muscle isolated from those lungs. The chronic stress also caused an increase in airway size but no detectable changes in the composition of the airway wall.

scholarly journals The Three A’s in Asthma – Airway Smooth Muscle, Airway Remodeling & Angiogenesis

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
L.F. Keglowich ◽  
P. Borger
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Airway Smooth Muscle ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Airway Remodeling ◽  
Vascular Density ◽  
Airway Wall ◽  
Cell Hyperplasia ◽  
Asthma Symptoms ◽  
Basement Membrane Thickening ◽  
Cell Shedding

Asthma affects more than 300 million people worldwide and its prevalence is still rising. Acute asthma attacks are characterized by severe symptoms such as breathlessness, wheezing, tightness of the chest, and coughing, which may lead to hospitalization or death. Besides the acute symptoms, asthma is characterized by persistent airway inflammation and airway wall remodeling. The term airway wall remodeling summarizes the structural changes in the airway wall: epithelial cell shedding, goblet cell hyperplasia, hyperplasia and hypertrophy of the airway smooth muscle (ASM) bundles, basement membrane thickening and increased vascular density. Airway wall remodeling starts early in the pathogenesis of asthma and today it is suggested that remodeling is a prerequisite for other asthma pathologies. The beneficial effect of bronchial thermoplasty in reducing asthma symptoms, together with the increased potential of ASM cells of asthmatics to produce inflammatory and angiogenic factors, indicate that the ASM cell is a major effector cell in the pathology of asthma. In the present review we discuss the ASM cell and its role in airway wall remodeling and angiogenesis.

Does the length dependency of airway smooth muscle force contribute to airway hyperresponsiveness?

2013 ◽  
Vol 115 (9) ◽  
pp. 1304-1315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Audrey Lee-Gosselin ◽  
Chris D. Pascoe ◽  
Christian Couture ◽  
Peter D. Paré ◽  
Ynuk Bossé
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Computational Model ◽  
Airway Smooth Muscle ◽  
Airway Hyperresponsiveness ◽  
Muscle Force ◽  
Morphological Data ◽  
Airway Wall ◽  
Airway Walls ◽  
Computational Analyses ◽  
Human Bronchi

Airway wall remodeling and lung hyperinflation are two typical features of asthma that may alter the contractility of airway smooth muscle (ASM) by affecting its operating length. The aims of this study were as follows: 1) to describe in detail the “length dependency of ASM force” in response to different spasmogens; and 2) to predict, based on morphological data and a computational model, the consequence of this length dependency of ASM force on airway responsiveness in asthmatic subjects who have both remodeled airway walls and hyperinflated lungs. Ovine tracheal ASM strips and human bronchial rings were isolated and stimulated to contract in response to increasing concentrations of spasmogens at three different lengths. Ovine tracheal strips were more sensitive and generated greater force at longer lengths in response to acetylcholine (ACh) and K+. Equipotent concentrations of ACh were approximately a log less for ASM stretched by 30% and approximately a log more for ASM shortened by 30%. Similar results were observed in human bronchi in response to methacholine. Morphometric and computational analyses predicted that the ASM of asthmatic subjects may be elongated by 6.6–10.4% (depending on airway generation) due to remodeling and/or hyperinflation, which could increase ACh-induced force by 1.8–117.8% (depending on ASM length and ACh concentration) and enhance the increased resistance to airflow by 0.4–4,432.8%. In conclusion, elongation of ASM imposed by airway wall remodeling and/or hyperinflation may allow ASM to operate at a longer length and to consequently generate more force and respond to lower concentration of spasmogens. This phenomenon could contribute to airway hyperresponsiveness.

scholarly journals In vitro, in silico and in vivo study challenges the impact of bronchial thermoplasty on acute airway smooth muscle mass loss

2018 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 1701680 ◽  
Author(s):  
Igor L. Chernyavsky ◽  
Richard J. Russell ◽  
Ruth M. Saunders ◽  
Gavin E. Morris ◽  
Rachid Berair ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Asthma Control ◽  
Muscle Mass ◽  
Airway Smooth Muscle ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Heat Distribution ◽  
Airway Wall ◽  
Epithelial Integrity

Bronchial thermoplasty is a treatment for asthma. It is currently unclear whether its histopathological impact is sufficiently explained by the proportion of airway wall that is exposed to temperatures necessary to affect cell survival.Airway smooth muscle and bronchial epithelial cells were exposed to media (37–70°C) for 10 s to mimic thermoplasty. In silico we developed a mathematical model of airway heat distribution post-thermoplasty. In vivo we determined airway smooth muscle mass and epithelial integrity pre- and post-thermoplasty in 14 patients with severe asthma.In vitro airway smooth muscle and epithelial cell number decreased significantly following the addition of media heated to ≥65°C. In silico simulations showed a heterogeneous heat distribution that was amplified in larger airways, with <10% of the airway wall heated to >60°C in airways with an inner radius of ∼4 mm. In vivo at 6 weeks post-thermoplasty, there was an improvement in asthma control (measured via Asthma Control Questionnaire-6; mean difference 0.7, 95% CI 0.1–1.3; p=0.03), airway smooth muscle mass decreased (absolute median reduction 5%, interquartile range (IQR) 0–10; p=0.03) and epithelial integrity increased (14%, IQR 6–29; p=0.007). Neither of the latter two outcomes was related to improved asthma control.Integrated in vitro and in silico modelling suggest that the reduction in airway smooth muscle post-thermoplasty cannot be fully explained by acute heating, and nor did this reduction confer a greater improvement in asthma control.

Effect of stretch on passive tension and contractility of isolated vascular smooth muscle

1962 ◽  
Vol 202 (5) ◽  
pp. 835-840 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harvey V. Sparks ◽  
David F. Bohr
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Vascular Smooth Muscle ◽  
Superior Mesenteric Artery ◽  
Mesenteric Artery ◽  
Standard Stimulus ◽  
Contractile Element ◽  
Passive Tension ◽  
Optimal Length ◽  
Length Variable

Helically cut strips of the wall of small branches of dog superior mesenteric artery were stretched in a stepwise fashion. Tension developed in response to stretch or to a standard stimulus (epinephrine or electricity) was recorded isometrically. The elastic diagram of the vessel is comparable to that reported by other investigators. Contraction in response to a standard stimulus increased with stretch, as much as 100% for a 10% increase in length. The increase in response continued until the strip reached a certain optimal length (variable from strip to strip), after which the response decreased with further stretch. When the strip was released in a stepwise fashion hysteresis was observed. Possible relationships of tension and length at the level of the contractile element are discussed together with ways in which the information presented here may relate to myogenic autoregulation.

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