기니픽 상기도의 Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide 함유 신경의 분포

Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide(VIP) is a 28-amino acid peptide extracted from porcine duodenum as a potent vasodilator, originally. Current evidence suggests that VIP mediates inhibitory-nonadrenergic noncholinergic effects in the respiratory tract of several species, including human. It has been reported that vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-containing nerves relax the airway smooth muscle and blood vessels and stimulate glandular secretion in the airway mucosa.

The present study was undertaken to localize VlP-containing nerves in the upper airway oi the guinea pig using rabbit anti-VIP serum and avidin- biotin-complex method.

VIP-containing nerves were distributed around glands, excretory duct, along sinusoid wall and around small blood vessels of nasal mucosa and distributed in the smooth muscle of trachea. Some VIP-containing ganglion cells were distributed in the sphenopalatine ganglion.

In conclusion, these finding imply that VIP coexists with acetylcholine along the cholinergic nerve fibers in the airway mucosa and has regulatory function in glandular secretion, vasodilation and bronchodilation in the upper airway of the guinea pig.