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Figure 7 | Respiratory Research

Figure 7

From: Transformation of adrenal medullary chromaffin cells increases asthmatic susceptibility in pups from allergen-sensitized rats

Figure 7

Schematic summary of potential pathways for increasing asthma susceptibility in offspring rats from asthmatic dams. Because AMCCs and sympathetic neurons share the same origin, the former retains the ability to transform from an endocrine to a neuronal phenotype. For this reason, a tendency for transformation from AMCCs to neurons appears in offspring from an asthmatic pregnancy under conditions of elevated NGF. When the offspring grow up and receive an allergen challenge, the enhancing NGF promotes the transformation of AMCCs. As a result, EPI secretion declines in the transformed AMCCs, which may lead directly to bronchoconstriction.

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Respiratory Research

ISSN: 1465-993X

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