Determining the Role of Obesity and Muscarinic Signaling in Asthma

Abstract

In the U.S., one in thirteen individuals have been diagnosed with asthma. Obesity increases the incidence of asthma by 56%. The degree of obesity is associated with the severity of reduction in lung volume and lung volume can be restored with weight loss. Obesity also increases the risk of hospitalization by 460%. Although asthma and altered lung function is commonly assessed with spirometry in humans, plethysmography is recommended by the American Thoracic Society for assessing lung volume. The most common and effective method for assessing lung function in mice, forced ventilation, is terminal and limited to assessing lower airway function, preventing repeated measures. We aimed to develop a head‐out, variable pressure plethysmography system that would allow for repeated sensitive assessment of lung function and volume in lean and diet‐induced obese mice while mimicking the measures in human clinical practice. Preventing air leak from the chamber is vital for recording accurate measurements in a variable pressure plethysmography system. To eliminate air leak, we created an inflatable cuff that encompassed the mouse’s neck. This allowed us to repeatedly and accurately assess airway function in mice. To validate the head‐out, variable pressure plethysmography system, we used a series of models with altered muscarinic signaling. First, we assessed the response to a nebulized bronchoconstrictor, methacholine, establishing that methacholine resulted in the expected decreased breaths/minute, increased expiratory and inspiratory time, and decreased the rate of air flow at 50% of exhalation (EF50). To assess chronic muscarinic signaling, we used an adeno‐associated viral delivery to induce expression of a mutated constitutively active muscarinic 3 receptor (Q409L M3R) in airway smooth muscle, creating a model of chronic bronchoconstriction. In mice that expressed the Q490L M3R, we similarly found a decrease in breaths/minute and an increase in expiratory and inspiratory time at tidal breathing. Finally, we observed a decrease in breaths per minute at tidal breathing in muscarinic 3 receptor knock‐out mice. In our model of diet‐induced obesity we showed that obesity increased breaths per minute and decreased expiratory time at tidal breathing relative to that observed in lean mice. We have developed a reliable tool to repeatedly assess lung function in mice using the same clinically relevant measure applied in human asthmatics. Future research will apply this tool to better understand the mechanism by which obesity alters lung function and tidal breathing volume in mice.Support or Funding InformationABRC ADHS14‐082986ABRC ADHS17‐00002043T32 HL 007249