Receptors for ATP in rat sensory neurones: the structure-function relationship for ligands.

1. Rat isolated tracheal smooth muscle preparations respond to phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and phospholipase C (PLC) with contractile responses of highly variable magnitudes. Rat tracheae exposed to PLA2 or PLC for a period of 10-30 min, exhibit airway hyperreactivity (AH) to cooling (10 degrees C), i.e., respond with strong contractile responses. Phospholipase D neither contracted rat tracheae nor induced AH to cooling. 2. PLA2-induced AH to cooling was dependent on the presence of extracellular Ca2+ in the physiological solution. 3. Verapamil, azelastine, diltiazem and TMB-8 (each 10 microM) significantly attenuated PLA2-induced AH. This effect was not shared by nifedipine (10 microM). 4. Bepridil (10 microM), a Ca2+ and calmodulin antagonist, also significantly attenuated AH induced by PLA2. 5. Indomethacin (a cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor), AA-861 (a selective 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor), FPL 55712 (a leukotriene receptor antagonist), methysergide (a 5-hydroxytryptamine D-receptor antagonist) and pyrilamine (a histamine H1-receptor antagonist) exerted little or no effect on PLA2-induced AH to cooling. 6. Atropine significantly attenuated PLA2-induced AH suggesting the participation of acetylcholine. 7. Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (an antioxidant; 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor) and BW 755C (an antioxidant; a dual inhibitor of cyclo-oxygenase and 5-lipoxygenase) significantly attenuated PLA2-induced AH to cooling. 8. In conclusion, these data show that PLA2 (an enzyme involved in the synthesis of Paf-acether, prostaglandins, thromboxanes, leukotrienes, diacylglycerol, superoxide free radicals and lipid peroxides, etc.) induces AH to cooling and acetylcholine in rat trachea. The induction of AH to cooling is dependent on the presence of extracellular Ca2+ and is significantly attenuated by verapamil, diltiazem, bepridil, atropine and azelastine (an antiallergic/antiasthmatic drug).