Eur Respir J, 1996, 9, 621–623 Copyright ERS Journals Ltd 1996 DOI: 10.1183/09031936.96.09030621 European Respiratory Journal Printed in UK - all rights reserved ISSN 0903 - 1936 CORRESPONDENCE Neurophysiology of the cough reflex To the Editor: Inhaled tachykinin peptides do not cause cough in healthy subjects [8], and when thiorphan (an inhibitor of neutral- We read with much interest the recent review "Neuro- endopeptidase metabolism of tachykinins) is inhaled by physiology of the cough reflex" by WIDDICOMBE [1], which human subjects, reportedly only the bronchoconstrictor appeared in the July issue of the Journal. The review response to neurokinin A is enhanced [9]. Similarly, in gave a detailed account of afferent nerves in the airways, guinea-pigs, we found that, thiorphan enhanced the cit- with particular reference to those that may directly or ric acid-induced bronchospasm but not the cough response indirectly be involved in the cough reflex. Based pri- [10]. One study has reported that thiorphan potentiates marily on data with select irritants which trigger electri- the cough response to substance P (SP) but the signifi- cal activity in sensory nerves and cough in cats and dogs, cance of this finding is difficult to assess since very low the author concludes that thin, myelinated, rapidly adapt- concentrations of SP (10-19 to 10-16 M) were studied, ing stretch receptors (RARs), "irritant receptors", uniquely coughing was measured up to 13 min after a 2 min mediate the cough reflex and that lung C-fibres suppress aerosol exposure, and the ethanol vehicle also produced coughing. coughing [11]. It was recently shown that a neurokinin-1 In our opinion, published experimental data in guinea- (NK1)-receptor antagonist does not inhibit hypertonic pig and man indicate instead that both RARs and bronchial saline-induced cough in asthmatic subjects [12]. C-fibres are important in mediating the cough reflex. The Finally, guinea-pig and human [13] bronchi are more following observations support a direct role for bronchial sensitive to the tussive effect of inhaled C-fibre stimu- C-fibres in cough. lants than the larynx and central airways, which is con- Firstly, capsaicin is a relatively selective stimulus of sistent with the distribution of unmyelinated bronchial C-fibres compared with RARs and slowly adapting stretch C-fibres predominantly to intrapulmonary airways. The receptors (SARs). Low doses of capsaicin trigger cough pulmonary chemoreflex, characterized by apnoea, brady- when inhaled by conscious guinea-pigs and human sub- cardia and hypotension, is mediated via pulmonary C- jects. Electrophysiological recordings of afferent neural fibres. As described in the review, stimulation of these fibres activity from a guinea-pig tracheobronchial preparation inhibits cough, which is only to be expected when the res- demonstrate that capsaicin stimulates C-fibres but not A-δ piratory rhythm generator in the central nervous system fibres (RARs) [2]. Capsaicin is also a more potent stim- (CNS) is suppressed during the apnoea. Furthermore, ulant of C-fibres than RARs in the cat [3] and dog [4]. the cough reflex would of course not be effective as a Importantly, capsaicin causes a burst of activity in C- defense mechanism if evoked from the respiratory bron- fibres, which are normally silent, whereas it merely poten- chioles and alveoli, which seems to be the site of these tiates a pre-existing spontaneous discharge in myelinated particular sensory nerve endings. fibres [3, 4]. Cough is an important clinical problem, not only in Secondly, capsaicin-pretreatment of guinea-pigs (caus- subjects with chronic cough but also in asthma, since it ing degeneration of a population of chemosensitive C- can be an early, and sometimes the only, sign of dis- fibre afferents) inhibits coughing due to capsaicin and citric ease. We agree with WIDDICOMBE [1] that RARs medi- acid, but not that due to cigarette smoke, histamine and ate the cough reflex and that pulmonary C-fibres may mechanical stimulation, indicating that different types be inhibitory, but in our opinion a wealth of experimental of afferent nerves can directly mediate this reflex [5]. data support a direct role for bronchial C-fibres in cough. Interestingly, nicotine and histamine have been shown to Sensory hyperresponsiveness in capsaicin-sensitive bron- stimulate RARs in guinea-pigs [6]. chial C-fibre afferents is a characteristic feature of chron- Thirdly, chronic exposure of guinea-pigs to cigarette smoke ic cough (see [14]) and, inferentially, identification of selectively enhances the sensitivity of capsaicin-sensitive neural pathways in airway reflexes may lead to a better C-fibres mediating cough, and increases the neuropeptide understanding of the pathophysiology of airway diseases, content of airway nerves, whilst leaving the bronchocon- including asthma, as well as to the development of more strictor response unaffected [7]. At the same time, the efficacious therapeutic agents. cough response to cigarette smoke is unchanged, sug- gesting a selective upregulation of capsaicin-sensitive C- fibres. References Fourthly, although capsaicin releases tachykinins and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) from C-fibres via 1. Widdicombe J. Neurophysiology of the cough reflex. an axon-reflex, it is unlikely that they activate airway Eur Respir J 1995; 8: 1193–1202. RARs and, thereby, indirectly trigger the cough reflex. 2. Fox AJ, Barnes PJ, Urban L, Dray A. An in vitro study CORRESPONDENCE 622 of the properties of single vagal afferents innervating humans in vivo. Am Rev Respir Dis 1992; 145: 1275– guinea-pig airways. J Physiol (Lond) 1993; 469: 21–35. 1280. 3. Armstrong DJ, Luck JC. A comparative study of irri- 10. Karlsson J-A, Zackrisson C, Forsberg K. Inhibitors of tant and type J receptors in the cat. Respir Physiol 1974; ACE and enkephalinase potentiate irritant induced bron- 21: 47–60. choconstriction, but not cough, in conscious guinea-pigs. 4. Coleridge HM, Coleridge JCG, Luck JC. Pulmonary Br J Pharmacol 1988; 96: 158P. afferent fibers of small diameter stimulated by capsaicin 11. Kohroghi H, Graf PD, Sekizawa K, Borson DB, Nadel and by hyperinflation of the lungs. J Physiol (Lond) JA. Neutral endopeptidase inhibitors potentiate substance 1965; 179: 248–262. P and capsaicin-induced cough in awake guinea-pigs. 5. Forsberg K, Karlsson J-A, Theodorsson E, Lundberg JM, Clin Invest 1988; 82: 2063–2068. Persson CGA. Cough and bronchoconstriction mediat- 12. Fahy JV, Wong HH, Gepetti P, et al. Effect of an NK1 ed by capsaicin-sensitive sensory neurons in the guinea- receptor antagonist (CP-99,994) on hypertonic saline- pig. Pulm Pharmacol 1988; 1: 33–39. induced bronchoconstriction and cough in male asth- 6. Bergren DR, Sampson SR. Characterisation of intra- matic subjects. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 1995; 152: pulmonary rapidly adapting receptors of guinea-pigs. 879–884. Respir Physiol 1982; 47: 83–95. 13. Hansson L, Wollmer P, Dahlback M, Karlsson J-A. Reg- 7. Karlsson J-A, Zackrisson C, Lundberg JM. Hyperrespon- ional sensitivity of the human airways to capsaicin- siveness to tussive stimuli in cigarette smoke-exposed induced cough. Am Rev Respir Dis 1992; 145: 1191–1195. guinea-pigs: a role for capsaicin-sensitive, calcitonin gene- 14. Karlsson J-A. A role for capsaicin sensitive, tachykinin related peptide-containing nerves. Acta Physiol Scand containing nerves in chronic coughing and sneezing, but 1991; 141: 445–454. not in asthma: a hypothesis. Thorax 1993; 48: 396–400. 8. Joos GF, Pauwels RA, Vand Der Straeten ME. Effect of inhaled substance P and neurokinin A on the airways + of normal and asthmatic subjects. Thorax 1987; 42: R. Fuller*, L. Hansson**, J-A. Karlsson 779–783. *Glaxo Research and Development Ltd, Uxbridge, U.K. 9. Cheung D, Bel EH, Den Hartig J, Dijkman JH, Sterk PJ. **Dept Lung Medicine, University Hospital Lund, Lund, The effect of an inhaled neutral endopeptidase inhibitor, Sweden, +Discovery Biology, Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Ltd, thiorphan, on airway response to neurokinin A in normal Dagenham, Essex, UK. REPLY Fuller et al. imply that because capsaicin is a more potent stimulus of C-fibres than of RARs, the former From the authors: must mediate cough. However, one should not equate nerve impulse frequency with size of response. A bis- I am glad that my review on cough aroused contro- cuit crumb in the larynx stimulates a few RARs with a versy, as intended, and the comments by Fuller et al. few dozen nerve impulses and causes vigorous cough- are important and stimulating. We agree that rapidly ing, whereas a large lung inflation stimulates thousands adapting stretch receptors (RARs) can cause cough, and of SARs each relaying hundreds of impulses but with a that pulmonary C-fibre receptors can inhibit it. However, far weaker effect on breathing. The most talkative politi- they believe that bronchial C-fibre receptors can induce cians are not usually the most influential, thank good- cough. There is much contrary evidence. ness. When stimuli, such as capsaicin or bradykinin, selec- FOX et al. [7] showed that capsaicin stimulates C-fibres tive to bronchial C-fibre receptors, are restricted to the but not δ-fibres in the guinea-pig trachea in vitro; this bronchial circulation they cause apnoea and rapid shal- work is important, but tells us little about cough. The low breathing; cough has never been described [1]. When results are largely restricted to the trachea, which we know the same agents, or water or citric acid, which are non- to have mechanosensitive RARs with little chemosensi- selective are applied generally to the tracheobronchial tivity [8]; whereas, as agreed, capsaicin is most effec- tree as a liquid or an aerosol, they stimulate RARs as tive in the intrapulmonary bronchi. Capsaicin, serotonin well as bronchial C-fibres [2]. The reflex response is (5HT), histamine and bradykinin have no effect on tra- cough or apnoea in dog [3, 4], rat [4], and man [5].