“…Previous studies in our laboratory were aimed at characterizing upper respiratory tract (URT) sensory nerve-mediated responses to inspired irritants in the rat and included measures of afferent reflex responses (changes in breathing pattern) and local tissue responses, including neurogenic edema, airway obstruction, and mucus secretion (26,28,39). (The URT is defined as all portions of the respiratory tract anterior to and including the larynx.)…”