Role of the epithelial derived factors on airway reactivity.

Abstract

A tracheobronchial smooth muscle reactivity study on isolated guinea pig tracheal rings was done. The existence of two different factors active on the smooth muscle, an inhibiting one as well as an activating one were identified. Generated on different pathways, the epithelial derived relaxing factor is a cyclooxygenase dependent prostaglandin, while the activating epithelial factor seems to be a thromboxane derivative.