Response of Respiratory Epithelial Cells to Inflammatory Stimuli

Abstract

We hypothesize that the respiratory epithelium plays an active role in inflammatory diseases of the airways. In the present study, we have demonstrated that cultured human and guinea pig tracheal epithelial cells produce prostaglandin E₂ and F_2α, but no other prostanoids. Prostanoid production is significantly enhanced by bradykinin, histamine, and platelet-activating factor but not by substance P. Furthermore, we have shown that cultured epithelial cells have the ability to catabolize inflammatory mediators such as platelet-activating factor. We conclude that cultured tracheal epithelial cells retain receptors for inflammatory mediators and provide a useful model to study pathways of lipid metabolism and interactions of inflammatory mediators with respiratory epithelium.