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Article: Nicotinic cholinergic receptor expression in the human nasal mucosa
- Article from:
- The Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology
- Article date:
- January 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright Annals Publishing Company Jan 2003. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Twenty-four nasal mucosa specimens were obtained from the inferior or middle turbinates of 6 normal subjects and 18 patients with chronic sinusitis, inflammatory polyp formation, or sinus allergies. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis was used to identify the non-neuronal nicotinic cholinergic receptor (nAChR) subunits that were expressed in the nasal mucosa. Collectively, transcripts for alpha (alpha1, alpha2, alpha3, alpha4, alpha6, alpha7) and beta (beta2, beta3, beta4) nAChR subunit genes were detected in the respiratory mucosa. The alpha3, alpha7, and beta2 subunits were expressed in 92%, 88%, and 75% of the subjects, respectively. There was a high degree of ...