help button home button
AJRCMB
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Schittny, J. C.
Right arrow Articles by Sparrow, M. P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Schittny, J. C.
Right arrow Articles by Sparrow, M. P.

Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., Volume 23, Number 1, July, 2000 11-18

Spontaneous Peristaltic Airway Contractions Propel Lung Liquid through the Bronchial Tree of Intact and Fetal Lung Explants

Johannes C. Schittny, Giuseppe Miserocchi, and Malcolm P. Sparrow

Institute of Anatomy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Istituto di Fisiologia Umana, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi, Milan, Italy; and Department of Physiology, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia

Spontaneous contractions of the fetal airways are a well recognized but poorly characterized phenomenon. In the present study spontaneous narrowing of the airways was analyzed in freshly isolated lungs from early to late gestation in fetal pigs and rabbits and in cultured fetal mouse lungs. Propagating waves of contraction traveling proximal to distal were observed in fresh lungs throughout gestation which displaced the lung liquid along the lumen. In the pseudoglandular and canalicular stages (fetal pigs) the frequency ranged from 2.3 to 3.3 contractions/min with a 39 to 46% maximum reduction of lumen diameter. In the saccular stage (rabbit) the frequency was 10 to 12/min with a narrowing of ~ 30%. In the organ cultures the waves of narrowing started at the trachea in whole lungs, or at the main bronchus in lobes (5.2 ± 1.5 contractions/min, 22 ± 8% reduction of lumen diameter), and as they proceeded distally along the epithelial tubes the luminal liquid was shifted toward the terminal tubules, which expanded the endbuds. As the tubules relaxed the flow of liquid was reversed. Thus the behavior of airway smooth muscle in the fetal lung is phasic in type (like gastrointestinal muscle) in contrast to that in postnatal lung, where it is tonic. An intraluminal positive pressure of 2.33 ± 0.77 cm H2O was recorded in rabbit fetal trachea. It is proposed that the active tone of the smooth muscle maintains the positive intraluminal pressure and acts as a stimulus to lung growth via the force exerted across the airway wall and adjacent parenchyma. The expansion of the compliant endbuds by the fluid shifts at the airway tip may promote their growth into the surrounding mesenchyme.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Bio.Home page
A. J. Burns, N. Thapar, and A. J. Barlow
Development of the Neural Crest-Derived Intrinsic Innervation of the Human Lung
Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., March 1, 2008; 38(3): 269 - 275.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Proc Am Thorac SocHome page
J. Murphy, R. Summer, and A. Fine
Stem Cells in Airway Smooth Muscle: State of the Art
Proceedings of the ATS, January 1, 2008; 5(1): 11 - 14.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
D. Huh, H. Fujioka, Y.-C. Tung, N. Futai, R. Paine III, J. B. Grotberg, and S. Takayama
Acoustically detectable cellular-level lung injury induced by fluid mechanical stresses in microfluidic airway systems
PNAS, November 27, 2007; 104(48): 18886 - 18891.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
J. J. Fredberg
COUNTERPOINT: AIRWAY SMOOTH MUSCLE IS NOT USEFUL
J Appl Physiol, April 1, 2007; 102(4): 1709 - 1710.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Bio.Home page
N. C. Featherstone, M. G. Connell, D. G. Fernig, S. Wray, T. V. Burdyga, P. D. Losty, and E. C. Jesudason
Airway Smooth Muscle Dysfunction Precedes Teratogenic Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia and May Contribute to Hypoplastic Lung Morphogenesis
Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., November 1, 2006; 35(5): 571 - 578.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol.Home page
E. C. Jesudason, N. P. Smith, M. G. Connell, D. G. Spiller, M. R. H. White, D. G. Fernig, and P. D. Losty
Peristalsis of airway smooth muscle is developmentally regulated and uncoupled from hypoplastic lung growth
Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, October 1, 2006; 291(4): L559 - L565.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Bio.Home page
N. C. Featherstone, E. C. Jesudason, M. G. Connell, D. G. Fernig, S. Wray, P. D. Losty, and T. V. Burdyga
Spontaneous Propagating Calcium Waves Underpin Airway Peristalsis in Embryonic Rat Lung
Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., August 1, 2005; 33(2): 153 - 160.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Bio.Home page
E. C. Jesudason, N. P. Smith, M. G. Connell, D. G. Spiller, M. R. H. White, D. G. Fernig, and P. D. Losty
Developing Rat Lung Has a Sided Pacemaker Region for Morphogenesis-Related Airway Peristalsis
Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., February 1, 2005; 32(2): 118 - 127.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Bio.Home page
L. Wang, H.-W. Liu, K. D. McNeill, G. Stelmack, J. E. Scott, and A. J. Halayko
Mechanical Strain Inhibits Airway Smooth Muscle Gene Transcription via Protein Kinase C Signaling
Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., July 1, 2004; 31(1): 54 - 61.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.Home page
W. Mitzner
Airway Smooth Muscle: The Appendix of the Lung
Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., April 1, 2004; 169(7): 787 - 790.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Bio.Home page
M. Roth-Kleiner, E. Hirsch, and J. C. Schittny
Fetal Lungs of Tenascin-C-Deficient Mice Grow Well, but Branch Poorly in Organ Culture
Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., March 1, 2004; 30(3): 360 - 366.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 PediatricsHome page
D. W. Thibeault, S. M. Mabry, I. I. Ekekezie, X. Zhang, and W. E. Truog
Collagen Scaffolding During Development and Its Deformation With Chronic Lung Disease
Pediatrics, April 1, 2003; 111(4): 766 - 776.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 NeoReviewsHome page
A. B. Cullen, M. R. Wolfson, and T. H. Shaffer
The Maturation of Airway Structure and Function
NeoReviews, July 1, 2002; 3(7): e125 - 130.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Bio.Home page
J. Tollet, A. W. Everett, and M. P. Sparrow
Development of Neural Tissue and Airway Smooth Muscle in Fetal Mouse Lung Explants . A Role for Glial-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Lung Innervation
Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., April 1, 2002; 26(4): 420 - 429.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol.Home page
J. Sanchez-Esteban, Y. Wang, L. A. Cicchiello, and L. P. Rubin
Pre- and Postnatal Lung Development, Maturation, and Plasticity: Cyclic mechanical stretch inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in fetal rat lung fibroblasts
Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, March 1, 2002; 282(3): L448 - L456.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
R. Tanaka, R. Al-Jamal, and M. S. Ludwig
Maturational changes in extracellular matrix and lung tissue mechanics
J Appl Physiol, November 1, 2001; 91(5): 2314 - 2321.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
C. Y. Seow and J. J. Fredberg
Signal Transduction in Smooth Muscle: Historical perspective on airway smooth muscle: the saga of a frustrated cell
J Appl Physiol, August 1, 2001; 91(2): 938 - 952.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Bio.Home page
K. T. Nakamura and P. B. McCray Jr.
Fetal Airway Smooth-Muscle Contractility and Lung Development . A Player in the Band or Just Someone in the Audience?
Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., July 1, 2000; 23(1): 3 - 6.
[Full Text]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Proc. Am. Thorac. Soc. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.
Copyright © 2000 American Thoracic Society. 		  ATS Best of the Web