Eosinophil and airway nerve interactions

In vivo, eosinophils localise to airway nerves in patients with asthma as well as in animal models of hyperreactivity. In both, in vivo and in vitro studies, we have shown that this localisation changes both cholinergic nerve and eosinophil function. In particular, it leads to an increase in acetylcholine release due to loss of function of a neuronal autoreceptor, the M 2 muscarinic receptor. This loss of M 2 receptor function occurs because eosinophils become activated and degranulate as a result of interactions that occur via specific adhesion molecules expressed on nerves that are recognised by counter ligands on eosinophils.