The inhibitory influence of tracheal mucosa mounted in close proximity to canine trachealis

Reduced smooth muscle contractile responses to agonists occur in the presence of epithelium, perhaps due to the release of an epithelium-derived relaxing factor (EpDRF). It is not clear whether the release of EpDRF requires the direct attachment of the epithelium to the smooth muscle. In the present study, using isolated canine tracheal smooth muscle strips, we examined whether the inhibitory effects of airway mucosa require the attachment of …