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INVITED REVIEW

HIGHLIGHTED TOPIC
Reflexes from the Lungs and Airways

Evidence for a role of neuroepithelial bodies as complex airway sensors: comparison with smooth muscle-associated airway receptors

Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium

The epithelium of intrapulmonary airways in many species harbors diffusely spread innervated groups of neuroendocrine cells, called neuroepithelial bodies (NEBs). Data on the location, morphology, and chemical coding of NEBs in mammalian lungs are abundant, but none of the proposed functions has so far been fully established. Besides C-fiber afferents, slowly adapting stretch receptors, and rapidly adapting stretch receptors, recent reviews have added NEBs to the list of presumed sensory receptors in intrapulmonary airways. Physiologically, the innervation of NEBs, however, remains enigmatic. This short overview summarizes our present understanding of the chemical coding and exact location of the receptor end organs of myelinated vagal airway afferents in intrapulmonary airways. The profuse populations that selectively contact complex pulmonary NEB receptors are compared with the much smaller group of smooth muscle-associated airway receptors. The main objective of our contribution was to stimulate the idea that the different populations of myelinated vagal afferents that selectively innervate intraepithelial pulmonary NEBs may represent subpopulations of the extensive group of known electrophysiologically characterized myelinated vagal airway receptors. Future efforts should be directed toward finding out which airway receptor groups are selectively coupled to the complex NEB receptors.

sensory airway receptors; innervation; lung

This article has been cited by other articles:

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				E. Spinelli Oliveira, J. T. Hancock, M. Hermes-Lima, D. A. Isola, M. Ochs, J. Yu, and D. Wilhem Filho Implications of dealing with airborne substances and reactive oxygen species: what mammalian lungs, animals, and plants have to say? Integr. Comp. Biol., October 1, 2007; 47(4): 578 - 591. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Yu Are neuroepithelial bodies a part of pulmonary slowly adapting receptors? J Appl Physiol, April 1, 2007; 102(4): 1727 - 1727. [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Adriaensen, I. Brouns, I. Pintelon, I. De Proost, and J.-P. Timmermans Reply to Yu J Appl Physiol, April 1, 2007; 102(4): 1728 - 1728. [Full Text] [PDF]