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Neural Mechanisms Underlying the Coughing Reflex

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Abstract

Breathing is an intrinsic natural behavior and physiological process that maintains life. The rhythmic exchange of gases regulates the delicate balance of chemical constituents within an organism throughout its lifespan. However, chronic airway diseases, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, affect millions of people worldwide. Pathological airway conditions can disrupt respiration, causing asphyxia, cardiac arrest, and potential death. The innervation of the respiratory tract and the action of the immune system confer robust airway surveillance and protection against environmental irritants and pathogens. However, aberrant activation of the immune system or sensitization of the nervous system can contribute to the development of autoimmune airway disorders. Transient receptor potential ion channels and voltage-gated Na+ channels play critical roles in sensing noxious stimuli within the respiratory tract and interacting with the immune system to generate neurogenic inflammation and airway hypersensitivity. Although recent studies have revealed the involvement of nociceptor neurons in airway diseases, the further neural circuitry underlying airway protection remains elusive. Unraveling the mechanism underpinning neural circuit regulation in the airway may provide precise therapeutic strategies and valuable insights into the management of airway diseases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China

    Haicheng Lu & Peng Cao

  2. School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China

    Haicheng Lu

  3. Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102206, China

    Peng Cao

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Lu, H., Cao, P. Neural Mechanisms Underlying the Coughing Reflex. Neurosci. Bull. 39, 1823–1839 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12264-023-01104-y

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