Cell and Developmental Biology Commons^™

Pulmonary Inflammation Is Regulated By The Levels Of The Vesicular Acetylcholine Transporter, Nathalia M. Pinheiro, Claudia J. C. P. Miranda, Adenir Perini, Niels O. S. Camara, Soraia K. P. Costa, Maria Isabel C. Alonso-Vale, Luciana C. Caperuto, Iolanda F. L. C. Tiberio, Marco A. M. Prado, Milton A. Martins, Vania F. Prado, Carla M. Prado

Anatomy and Cell Biology Publications

Acetylcholine (ACh) plays a crucial role in physiological responses of both the central and the peripheral nervous system. Moreover, ACh was described as an anti-inflammatory mediator involved in the suppression of exacerbated innate response and cytokine release in various organs. However, the specific contributions of endogenous release ACh for inflammatory responses in the lung are not well understood. To address this question we have used mice with reduced levels of the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT), a protein required for ACh storage in secretory vesicles. VAChT deficiency induced airway inflammation with enhanced TNF-alpha and IL-4 content, but not IL-6, IL-13 and …