Brainstem Dbh⁺ neurons control allergen-induced airway hyperreactivity.

ABSTRACT: Exaggerated airway constriction triggered by repeated exposure to allergen, also called hyperreactivity, is a hallmark of asthma. Whereas vagal sensory neurons are known to function in allergen-induced hyperreactivity^1-3, the identity of downstream nodes remains poorly understood. Here we mapped a full allergen circuit from the lung to the brainstem and back to the lung. Repeated exposure of mice to inhaled allergen activated the nuclei of solitary tract (nTS) neurons in a mast cell-, interleukin-4 (IL-4)- and vagal nerve-dependent manner. Single-nucleus RNA sequencing, followed by RNAscope assay at baseline and allergen challenges, showed that a Dbh⁺ nTS population is preferentially activated. Ablation or chemogenetic inactivation of Dbh⁺ nTS neurons blunt

SUBMITTER: Su Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11254774 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature