vasoactive-intestinal-peptide and Bronchitis

The recurrent bronchitis (RB) course is caused by the bronchi secretory-evacuation mechanisms state, which provide clearance from pathogens. This mechanism can be disrupted by vegetative reflexes and neuropeptides imbalance that develops in children with the syndrome of the vertebrobasilar arterial system (SVBAS). The objective: study of the neurogenic maintenance of the RB pathogenesis in children with SVBAS by studying the serum content of substances affecting of the bronchial mucosa secretory-evacuation function and inflammatory activity (substance P, vasoactive intestinal peptide - VIP and endothelin-1 - ET-1). 90 children aged 7 to 11 years were examined, 3 observation groups were formed: Group 1 - children with RB and SVBAS (n=30); Group 2 - children with SVBAS without RB (n=30); Group 3 - children with RB without SVBAS (n=30). In the Group 1, compared with the 2nd and 3rd, there was an increase in the children number with high serum content of substance P (by 66.7% and 50.0%, respectively, p<0.05) and ET -1 (by 23.3% and 40.0%, respectively, p<0.05), low content of VIP (by 46.7% and 23.4%, respectively, p<0.05). Children with RB and SVBAS have serum level imbalance of the pro-inflammatory substance P, ET-1 and anti-inflammatory VIP as the bronchitis severe course basis.

Topics: Bronchitis; Child; Endothelin-1; Humans; Substance P; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency

We have taken advantage of the availability of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) knockout (KO) mice to examine the possible influence of deletion of the VIP gene on: (a) airway reactivity and airway inflammation, as indicators of bronchial asthma; (b) mortality from endotoxemia, a model of septic shock; and (c) the pulmonary circulation. VIP KO mice showed: (a) airway hyperresponsiveness to the cholinergic agonist methacholine, as well as peribronchial and perivascular inflammation; (b) a greater susceptibility to death from endotoxemia; and (c) evidence suggestive of pulmonary hypertension.

Topics: Animals; Bronchitis; Disease Susceptibility; Endotoxemia; Female; Lipopolysaccharides; Male; Methacholine Chloride; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; Survival Rate; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide

Neuropeptides act on most of the components of the bronchial environment. They influence bronchomotor tone and bronchial vascular caliber and permeability. To investigate the nonadrenergic, noncholinergic system within the airways in asthma and chronic bronchitis, we performed endobronchial biopsies in 16 normal human volunteers, 49 patients with asthma of varying severity, including 16 patients treated with oral corticosteroids, and 13 patients with chronic bronchitis. Frozen sections of biopsies stained with specific antibodies against the neural marker PGP 9.5, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), substance P (SP), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and neuropeptide Y (NPY) were analyzed for the presence of nerves through indirect immunofluorescence. Nerves were present in most of the biopsies and were found within and below the epithelium and adjacent to smooth muscle, glands, and blood vessels. By comparison with those in normal subjects, the numbers of VIP-immunoreactive nerves were not significantly decreased in patients with asthma and chronic bronchitis, but NPY-immunoreactive nerves were significantly decreased in the smooth muscle of these latter two groups of patients (p < 0.005). There was no correlation between disease severity and the number of nerves found in the biopsies. This study does not confirm previous findings in autopsy material of some defects in sensory and VIP-containing nerves in severe asthma.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Asthma; Beclomethasone; Biomarkers; Biopsy; Bronchi; Bronchitis; Bronchoconstriction; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; Capillary Permeability; Chronic Disease; Epithelium; Female; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct; Glucocorticoids; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Mucous Membrane; Muscle, Smooth; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Neuropeptide Y; Neuropeptides; Prednisone; Substance P; Thiolester Hydrolases; Ubiquitin Thiolesterase; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; Vasomotor System

The presence and distribution of neuropeptide-containing nerves within bronchial surgical specimens has been investigated in bronchitic (n = 12) and in nonbronchitic subjects (n = 7). Lung tissue, obtained from patients undergoing thoracotomy for limited lung lesions, was processed immediately and analyzed for nerves using the streptavidin-biotin complex peroxidase method with antisera to the neural marker protein gene product 9.5 (PGP 9.5) and the neuropeptides vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), substance P (SP), calcitonin-gene related peptide (CGRP). There were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to the density of PGP 9.5-, SP-, or CGRP-positive nerves in both the locations assessed (smooth muscle layer and glands). The density of VIP-positive nerves was significantly higher in the glands of bronchitic than in nonbronchitic subjects. A negative relationship was found between the presence of airway inflammation, as indexed by mononuclear cell tissue infiltration, and the density of PGP 9.5-positive nerves in both smooth muscle and glands. Likewise, a relationship was found between the smoking history (packs/yr and age of onset of smoking) and the density of VIP-positive nerves in glands. These findings support a role for VIP in the hallmark of chronic bronchitis, i.e., sputum production.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Bronchi; Bronchitis; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; Chronic Disease; Exocrine Glands; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Male; Middle Aged; Mucus; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Neurons; Smoking; Substance P; Thiolester Hydrolases; Ubiquitin Thiolesterase; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide

Non-adrenergic non-cholinergic (NANC) nerves are the third nervous system in the lung. There are increasing evidences that the main transmitters of NANC inhibitory (NANC-i) nerves and NANC excitatory (NANC-e) nerves are vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and substance P (SP) respectively. We measured the levels of plasma VIP. SP and bronchial responsiveness in the patients with asthma. Chronic bronchitis and healthy subjects. The results showed that VIP level is decreased and negatively correlated with airway resistance, whereas SP level is increased and positively correlated with bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) in asthma. It is suggested that overexcitation of NANC-e nerves and deficiency of NANC-i nerves are closely related with asthma attack and BHR.

Topics: Adult; Airway Resistance; Asthma; Bronchitis; Female; Humans; Lung; Male; Middle Aged; Substance P; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), which is localized in normal human lung, may play an important role in regulating bronchial tone, pulmonary blood flow and mucus secretion. The level of plasma VIP and bronchial responsiveness were studied in patients with asthma, chronic bronchitis and the healthy subjects. The results showed that the level of plasma VIP in asthmatic patients during acute attack and symptom-free period was significantly lower than that in the patients with bronchitis and the healthy subjects and it is negatively correlated with the bronchial hyperresponsiveness. It is suggested that both asthmatic attack and bronchial tone are related with the decrease of VIP.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Airway Resistance; Asthma; Bronchial Hyperreactivity; Bronchitis; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide

The effects of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) were analyzed on the in vitro release of radioactively labeled mucus glycoconjugates and lysozyme by explants of human bronchial mucosa from normal subjects and from patients with chronic bronchitis. These effects were compared with the effects of VIP on the discharge of labeled macromolecules (analyzed by quantitative autoradiography) from mucous and serous cells of the airway submucosal glands. In explants of 9 mucosal specimens of normal airways, VIP (10 ng to 1 micrograms/ml) caused a dose-dependent inhibition of baseline and methacholine-stimulated release of both glycoconjugates and lysozyme. At a concentration (1 micrograms/ml) that caused maximal inhibition of glycoconjugate and lysozyme release, VIP also caused a small inhibition of baseline but not methacholine-induced discharge of labeled macromolecules from mucous and serous cells of the submucosal glands. In explants from 5 patients with chronic bronchitis, VIP did not inhibit baseline or methacholine-stimulated glycoconjugate release and mucous or serous cell discharge, even at doses greater than 1 micrograms/ml. By contrast, VIP did inhibit baseline and methacholine-stimulated release of lysozyme, but this was less marked than in explants of normal airways. In view of the proximity of neurons containing VIP to submucosal gland cells, this study supported the hypothesis that VIP may contribute to the neurohumoral regulation of mucus secretion by the human airway. It was evident, however, that the effects of VIP could not be accounted for in terms of inhibiting cell discharge alone. In chronic bronchitis, the reduction or absence of sensitivity to VIP inhibition suggests a functional difference in the regulation of mucus secretion, which may contribute to mucus hypersecretion.

Topics: Bronchi; Bronchitis; Culture Techniques; Exocrine Glands; Female; Gastrointestinal Hormones; Humans; Macromolecular Substances; Male; Methacholine Compounds; Middle Aged; Mucus; Muramidase; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide