Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K ) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma, but its mechanism has been considered indirect, through release of inflammatory cell mediators. Because airway smooth muscle (ASM) contractile hyper-responsiveness plays a critical role in asthma, the aim of the present study was to determine whether PI3K can directly regulate contractility of ASM. Immunohistoc...

The aim of our study was to examine the short term effect ofdisulfiram on pulmonary functions of alcohol dependent subjects, who were chronic smokers J/Ve compared FEV1 % values on spirometry and airway reactivity to histamine challenge in alcohol dependent subjects at baseline and after 2 weeks of treatment with disulfiram. Disulfiram did not significantly alter FEVI values and airway reactivi...

From this review, it is apparent that the effects of respiratory viral infection on airway reactivity are multiple. Although virus-associated changes are many, we have at present no evidence to show that respiratory viruses cause intrinsic abnormalities in airway smooth muscle function. Rather, respiratory viruses influence bronchial smooth muscle function through a variety of other means: epit...

Allergic asthma is a chronic airway inflammatory disease in which exposure to allergens causes intermittent attacks of breathlessness, airway hyper-reactivity, wheezing, and coughing. Allergic asthma has been called a "syndrome" resulting from a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. Worldwide, >300 million individuals are affected by this disease, and in the United States...

Aim use of inhalational insulin was limited due to its high cost and its potential to produce respiratory adverse effects. So current study was designed to evaluate the acute effects of insulin on airway reactivity and protective effects of salbutamol and ipratropium against insulin induced airway hyper-responsiveness on isolated tracheal smooth muscle of guinea pig. Material and methods: effec...

Asthma is a chronic disease, characterized by reversible airway obstruction, airway inflammation and hyper-reactivity. The prevalence of asthma has risen dramatically over the past decade, affecting around 300,000,000 people. The etiology is multifactorial, with genetic, epigenetic, developmental and environmental factors playing a role. A complex interaction between the intrauterine environmen...

Inflammation is a major burden in respiratory diseases, resulting in airway hyperresponsiveness. Our hypothesis is that resolution of inflammation may represent a long-term solution in preventing human bronchial dysfunctions. The aim of the present study was to assess the anti-inflammatory effects of RvD2, a member of the D-series resolving family, with concomitant effects on ASM mechanical rea...

WSX-1 (IL-27R) is a class I cytokine receptor with homology to gp130 and IL-12 receptors and is typically expressed on CD4+ T lymphocytes. Although previous reports have clarified that IL-27/WSX-1 signaling plays critical roles in both Th1 differentiation and attenuation of cell activation and proinflammatory cytokine production during some bacterial or protozoan infections, little is known abo...