Physiology

LU-YUAN LEE, Ph.D. Professor Ph.D. University of Mississippi, 1975 Office: MS-511A Medical Center 0298 Tel: (859) 323-6339 Lab: MS-506 Tel: (859) 257-3437 E-mail: lylee@uky.edu Lee Lab Page (pdf) Curriculum Vita (pdf)

Bronchial hyperreactivity is a characteristic feature of asthma. When bronchial hyperreactivity occurs during airway mucosal inflammation, the excitability of chemosensitive nerve endings innervating the airways is enhanced. The long-range goal of my research is to advance our understanding of the properties and functions of this specific group of sensory endings. Our current research focuses on the mechanisms by which hypersensitivity develops in these neurons.

In healthy lungs, the tachykinin-containing sensory terminals play an important role in protecting the airways against inhaled irritants; and stimulation of these sensory endings elicit extensive cardiopulmonary reflex responses such as cough, bronchospasm, hypersecretion of mucus, etc. However, when these nerve endings become hypersensitive as a result of inflammation and injury of the airway mucosa, a given level of stimulus will then evoke a more sustained and intense stimulation. Thus, greater intensities of the reflex reactions as wll as the neurogenic inflammation mediated through local release of tachykinins will lead to the development of bronchial hyperreactivity.

Ongoing projects are conducted in my lab to investigate: 1) the mechanisms underlying the hypersensitivity of these nerve endings induced by airway mucosal inflammation; and 2) the endogenous chemicals, ion channels and intracellular signal transduction pathways involved in regulating the excitability of isolated pulmonary sensory neurons. Electrophysiological and pharmacological approaches, cell- and molecular-biology techniques are applied to answer these questions.

Recent publications:

Jia, Y., and L.-Y. Lee. Role of TRPV channels in respiratory diseases. In: TRP Channels in Disease, ed. by B. Nilius. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1772: 915-927, 2007 (Invited review).

Lee, L.-Y., and Q. Gu. Nicotine membrane receptors on cough sensors. In: Pharmacology and Therapeutics of Cough, ed by K.F. Chung and J.G. Widdicombe. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology (Invited review; in press, 2008)

Ni, D., and Lee, L.-Y. Effect of hyperthermia on excitability of isolated rat vagal pulmonary sensory neurons: role of TRPV1 receptor. Am. J. Physiol.: Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol. 294: L563-71, 2008.

Gu, Q., M.E. Wiggers, G.I. Gleich, and L.-Y. Lee. Sensitization of isolated rat vagal pulmonary sensory neurons by human eosinophil granule-derived cationic proteins. Am. J. Physiol.: Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol. 294: L544-52, 2008.

Lee, L.-Y. Respiratory Sensations Evoked by Activation of Bronchopulmonary C-fibers. In: Dyspnea (special issue), ed. by D.E. O’Connell and J.T. Fisher. Respir. Physiol. Neurobiol. (Invited review; in press, 2008).

Other Publications (pdf)