The European respiratory journal : official journal of the European Society for Clinical Respiratory Physiology
-
Cough is due to activation of sensory receptors in the larynx and lower respiratory tract, sending impulses to the brainstem. The central organization of cough is poorly understood. The afferent pathways for cough are from receptors in and under the epithelium of the airways. ⋯ The central connections of the C-fibre receptors inhibit cough. Thus, the sensitivity of the cough reflex and its pattern of response is due to a complex interaction between C-fibre receptors and rapidly adapting receptors, with peripheral and central nervous interactions. How these mechanisms apply to clinical cough in patients is at present poorly understood, but is beginning to be clarified.
-
It is now well-established that sensory nerves stimulation in the airway induces bronchoconstriction and inflammation, but also protective reflexes, such as coughing. These effects are mediated through the release of tachykinins (substance P and neurokinin A) and we have recently shown that SR 48968, a tachykinin NK2-receptor antagonist, inhibited cough induced by citric acid. In this paper, we have studied the effects of SR 48968 administered by aerosol. ⋯ By the aerosol route, SR 48968 was an efficient antitussive and 16 times more potent than codeine. SR 140333 (0.1-1 mg.kg-1 i.p.) did not exert any antitussive effect but it potentiated the maximal effect induced by SR 48968. Finally, salbutamol, in a dose (0.3 mg.kg-1) which inhibits bronchoconstriction, but not cough induced by citric acid, did not modify the antitussive effect of SR 48968.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)