ments carried out in conscious guinea pigs suggest that citric acidevoked coughing is partly mediated by transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) receptor-dependent activation of tachykinin-containing, capsaicin-sensitive C fibers. In vitro electrophysiological analyses indicate, however, that acid also activates capsaicinsensitive and -insensitive vagal afferent nerves by a TRPV1-independent mechanism, and studies in anesthetized guinea pigs show that coughing evoked by acid is mediated by activation of capsaicininsensitive vagal afferent nerves. In the present study, we have characterized the mechanisms of citric acid-evoked coughing in anesthetized guinea pigs. Drugs were administered directly to the Krebs buffer perfusing the extrathoracic trachea. Citric acid was applied topically to the tracheal mucosa, directly into the tracheal perfusate in increasing concentrations and at 1-min intervals. Citric acid dose dependently evoked coughing in anesthetized guinea pigs. This was mimicked by hydrochloric acid but not by sodium citrate. The coughing evoked by acid was nearly or completely abolished by TTX or by cutting the recurrent laryngeal nerves. Perfusing the trachea with a low Cl Ϫ buffer potentiated the acid-induced cough reflex. In contrast, prior capsaicin desensitization, 10 M capsazepine, Ca 2ϩ -free perfusate, 0.1 M iberiotoxin, 1 M atropine, 10 M isoproterenol, 10 M albuterol, 3 M indomethacin, 0.1 M HOE-140, a combination of neurokinin 1 (NK1; CP-99994), NK2 (SR-48968), and NK3 (SB-223412) receptor antagonists (0.1 M each), a combination of histamine H 1 (3 M pyrilamine) and cysLT1 (1 M ICI-198615) receptor antagonists, superior laryngeal nerve transection, or epithelium removal did not inhibit citric acid-evoked coughing. These and other data indicate that citric acid-evoked coughing in anesthetized guinea pigs is mediated by direct activation of capsaicin-insensitive vagal afferent nerves, perhaps through sequential activation of acid-sensing ion channels and chloride channels. TRPV1 ; capsaicin; rapidly adapting receptor CITRIC ACID AND TARTARIC ACID are used routinely in clinical and preclinical studies of the cough reflex (15,27,35). In conscious guinea pigs, citric acid-evoked coughing is inhibited by the capsaicin receptor transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) antagonists capsazepine and iodo-resiniferatoxin or the TRPV1 channel blocker Ruthenium Red, and can also be inhibited by neurokinin 1 (NK 1 ), NK 2 , and/or NK 3 receptor antagonists (1,2,7,18,34,54,55). The acid-evoked coughing is mimicked by inhalation of the TRPV1 receptor agonists capsaicin, resiniferatoxin, and anandamide in both animals and human subjects, and prior capsaicin desensitization abolishes citric acid-evoked coughing in awake guinea pigs (10,25,35,50). Because the only tachykinin-containing nerves innervating the airways of normal, uninflamed guinea pigs are capsaicinsensitive C fibers (21, 32 49, 56), these data provide overwhelming evidence that acid-evoked coughing in conscious guinea pi...