Inhibitory Nonadrenergic, Noncholinergic Innervation of Airways Smooth Muscle: Role of Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide and Structurally Related Molecules

Classically, the autonomic nervous system is divided into a sympathetic (mostly adrenergic) and a parasympathetic (mostly cholinergic) divi- sion, usually with opposing excitatory and inhibitory actions. This view has been challenged by the findings of non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic (NANC) components in the regulation of e.g. the cardiovascular, gas- trointestinal and urogenital functions [1]. The airways receive a dense supply of cholinergic nerve fibres whereas the adrenergic nerve supply in many mammals, including man, is sparse. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.