Transition From Phasic to Tonic Contractility in Airway Smooth Muscle After Birth: An Experimental and Computational Modeling Study.

ABSTRACT: Fetal airway smooth muscle (ASM) exhibits phasic contractile behavior, which transitions to a more sustained "tonic" contraction after birth. The timing and underlying mechanisms of ASM transition from a phasic to a tonic contractile phenotype are yet to be established. We characterized phasic ASM contraction in preterm (128 day gestation), term (~150 day gestation), 1-4 month, 1 yr, and adult sheep (5yr). Spontaneous phasic activity was measured in bronchial segments as amplitude, frequency, and intensity. The mechanism of phasic ASM contraction was investigated further with a computational model of ASM force development and lumen narrowing. The computational model comprised a two-dimensional cylindrical geometry of a network of contractile units and the activation of neighboring cells wa

SUBMITTER: Wang KCW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6467295 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature