Transgenic overexpression of β2-adrenergic receptors in airway epithelial cells decreases bronchoconstriction

Abstract

Airway epithelial cells express β2-adrenergic receptors (β2-ARs), but their role in regulating airway responsiveness is unclear. With the Clara cell secretory protein (CCSP) promoter, we targeted expression of β2-ARs to airway epithelium of transgenic (CCSP-β2-AR) mice, thereby mimicking agonist activation of receptors only in these cells. In situ hybridization confirmed that transgene expression was confined to airway epithelium, and autoradiography showed that β2-AR density in CCSP-β2-AR mice was approximately twofold that of nontransgenic (NTG) mice. Airway responsiveness measured by whole body plethysmography showed that the methacholine dose required to increase enhanced pause to 200% of baseline (ED200) was greater for CCSP-β2-AR than for NTG mice (345 ± 34 vs. 157 ± 14 mg/ml; P < 0.01). CCSP-β2-AR mice were also less responsive to ozone (0.75 ppm for 4 h) because enhanced pause in NTG mice acutely increased to 77% over baseline (P < 0.05) but remained unchanged in the CCSP-β2-AR mice. Although both groups were hyperreactive to methacholine 6 h after ozone exposure, the ED200 for ozone-exposed CCSP-β2-AR mice was equivalent to that for unexposed NTG mice. These findings show that epithelial cell β2-ARs regulate airway responsiveness in vivo and that the bronchodilating effect of β-agonists results from activation of receptors on both epithelial and smooth muscle cells.