ABSTRACT

The term “tachykinin” was coined to describe the relatively fast development of the contractile action produced by these peptides in smooth muscles. In addition to vasodilatation and leakage of plasma proteins, the adhesion of granulocytes to endothelial cells and their subsequent migration into inflamed tissues is an integral and important component of neurogenic inflammation. In particular, the prominent inflammatory and proinflammatory actions exerted by tachykinins (TKs) in the airways and in other regions of the body provide the basis for speculating a role of TK receptor antagonists as a new class of drugs to be used for treatment of asthma and/or other inflammatory diseases. A complex question is whether stimulation of granulocyte infiltration into tissues by TKs is a direct effect on granulocytes or is produced indirectly; clearly, the results of studies implicating mast cells degranulation in granulocyte migration by substance P favor the second hypothesis.