Airway smooth muscle in exercise-induced bronchospasm: some speculations.

Some possible neurophysiological, biochemical, and pharmacological pathways affecting the state of contractility if airway smooth muscle in exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) are described. No unifying hypothesis can be set forth at this time. Indeed, it is likely that the heterogeneous nature of EIB is a reflection of the numerous biochemical loci in smooth muscle cells that could be affected by the various metabolic changes accompanying heavy exertion.