MrgprC11Jugular Neurons Control Airway Hyperresponsiveness in Allergic Airway Inflammation.

Abstract

The lung is densely innervated by sensory nerves, the majority of which are derived from the vagal sensory neurons. Vagal ganglia consist of two different ganglia, termedandganglia, with distinct embryonic origins, innervation patterns, and physiological functions in the periphery. Because nodose neurons constitute the majority of the vagal ganglia, our understanding of the function of jugular nerves in the lung is very limited. This study aims to investigate the role of MrgprC11jugular sensory neurons in a mouse allergic asthma model. Our previous study has shown that MrgprC11jugular neurons mediate cholinergic bronchoconstriction. In this study, we found that, in addition to MrgprC11, several other Mrgpr family members, including MrgprA3, MrgprB4, and MrgprD, are also specifically expressed in the jugular sensory neurons. MrgprC11jugular neurons exhibit dense innervation in the respiratory tract, including the larynx, trachea, proximal bronchus, and distal bronchus. We also found that receptors for IL-4 and oncostatin M, two critical cytokines promoting allergic airway inflammation, are mainly expressed in jugular sensory neurons. Both IL-4 and oncostatin M can sensitize the neuronal responses of MrgprC11jugular neurons. Moreover, ablation of MrgprC11neurons significantly inhibited airway hyperresponsiveness in the asthmatic lung, demonstrating the critical role of MrgprC11neurons in controlling airway constriction. Our results emphasize the critical role of jugular sensory neurons in respiratory diseases and present MrgprC11neurons as a potential therapeutic target for treating airway hyperresponsiveness.