TY - JOUR
T1 - The role of vagal afferent nerves in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
AU - Undem, Bradley J.
AU - Kollarik, Marian
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2008 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2005
Y1 - 2005
N2 - Circumstantial evidence supports the hypothesis that the vagal nervous system is dysregulated in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This dysregulation can lead to an increased sensitivity of the cough reflex such that the coughing becomes, at times, "nonproductive" or inappropriate. Vagal dysregulation can also lead to an increase in the activity of the parasympathetic reflex control of the airways, which contributes to greater mucus secretion and bronchial smooth muscle contraction. Indirect evidence indicates that lung disease is accompanied by substantive changes to the entire reflex pathways, including enhanced activity of the primary afferent nerves, increases in synaptic efficacy at secondary nerves in the central nervous system, and changes in the autonomic nerve pathways. Drugs aimed at normalizing neuronal activity may, therefore, be beneficial in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
AB - Circumstantial evidence supports the hypothesis that the vagal nervous system is dysregulated in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This dysregulation can lead to an increased sensitivity of the cough reflex such that the coughing becomes, at times, "nonproductive" or inappropriate. Vagal dysregulation can also lead to an increase in the activity of the parasympathetic reflex control of the airways, which contributes to greater mucus secretion and bronchial smooth muscle contraction. Indirect evidence indicates that lung disease is accompanied by substantive changes to the entire reflex pathways, including enhanced activity of the primary afferent nerves, increases in synaptic efficacy at secondary nerves in the central nervous system, and changes in the autonomic nerve pathways. Drugs aimed at normalizing neuronal activity may, therefore, be beneficial in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
KW - Bronchopulmonary C-fibers
KW - Nociceptors
KW - Stretch-sensitive mechanosensors
KW - Vagal dysregulation
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U2 - 10.1513/pats.200504-033SR
DO - 10.1513/pats.200504-033SR
M3 - Article
C2 - 16267362
AN - SCOPUS:28244483892
VL - 2
SP - 355
EP - 360
JO - Annals of the American Thoracic Society
JF - Annals of the American Thoracic Society
SN - 2325-6621
IS - 4
ER -