Abstract
Background: Cow’s milk can be aspirated into the respiratory tract either directly or as a consequence of gastroesophageal reflux in infants and toddlers. Although recurrent aspiration of cow’s milk has been shown to alter neural control of bronchi in young rabbits [1], to date no data are available concerning the detrimental effect of such condition in human airways.
Aims and Objectives: To investigate the effect of cow’s milk aspiration on the human airway smooth muscle (ASM) contractility and whether inhaled corticosteroid may have a role in protecting human airways from potential airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR).
Methods: Human isolated bronchi were contracted by electrical field stimulation (EFS, 10Hz) in isolated organ baths system to mimic the parasympathetic tone (vagal firing) in the presence or absence (control) of cow’s milk (1:10 v/v). Some bronchi were pre-treated 1 h with beclomethasone.
Results: After 60 min of treatment with cow’s milk, human ASM contractility significantly (P<0.01) increased +64.24%±18.65% compared to control, a condition that remained stable for more than 3 h post-treatment. Beclomethasone 1 μM significantly (P<0.05) inhibited the AHR elicited by cow’s milk (+14.55%±10.97% vs. control), and at 10 μM it abolished AHR (+0.06%±7.90% vs. control).
Conclusions: Cow’s milk aspiration elicits AHR in human ASM due to cholinergic dysfunction leading to increased parasympathetic response. Acute administration of beclomethasone protects against cow’s milk induced AHR by activating non-genomic pathways, with translational clinical impact in the critical care management of hyperreactive patients.
Reference:
[1] Larsen et al. Pediatric pulmonology. 2001;32:409-17.
Footnotes
Cite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2019; 54: Suppl. 63, PA4209.
This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).
- Copyright ©the authors 2019