Maintenance of airway tone, prevention of airway obstruction, and acute relief from bronchospasm are key targets of asthma therapy. This role is currently performed by β-agonists. However, chronic use of β-agonists to treat asthma is associated with desensitization of β-agonist signaling and a resultant loss of bronchodilator effect, worsening of airway hyperreactivity, and increased incidence ...

In healthy individuals, a DI can reverse (bronchodilation) or prevent (bronchoprotection) induced airway constriction. For individuals with asthma or COPD, these effects may be attenuated or absent. Previous work showed that the size and duration of a DI affected the subsequent response of the airways. Also, increased airway tone lead to increased airway size variability. The present study exam...

Twenty-one subjects with asthma underwent treadmill exercise to exhaustion at a workload that elicited approximately 90% of each subject's maximal O2 uptake (EX1). After EX1, 12 subjects experienced significant exercise-induced bronchospasm [(EIB+), %decrease in forced expiratory volume in 1.0 s = -24.0 +/- 11.5%; pulmonary resistance at rest vs. postexercise = 3.2 +/- 1.5 vs. 8.1 +/- 4.5 cmH2O...

BACKGROUND There is little evidence about the role of Zafirlukast (a highly selective LTD4 antagonist) in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). The Zafirlukast can reduce the need for short-acting rescue β2 agonists, produce fewer exacerbations of asthma and increased quality of life as possible benefits treatment for asthma. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effects of Zafirluka...

OBJECTIVE Leukotrienes (LTs) are involved in airway eosinophilic inflammation in patients with asthma. We examined the effects of a cysteinyl LT 1-receptor antagonist, montelukast, on sputum eosinophil levels, and the correlation between sputum eosinophils and bronchodilatation in patients with asthma. DESIGN Double-blind, randomized, crossover study. SETTING University hospital and private...

N-(3,5-Dichloro-pyrid-4-yl)-[1-(4-fluorobenzyl)-5-hydroxy-indole-3-yl]-glyoxylic acid amide (AWD 12-281) is a highly potent and selective phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitor that was designed to have a metabolic profile that was optimized for topical administration. The aim of the current study was to explore the pharmacological profile of intratracheally administered AWD 12-281 in different m...

This study describes the spasmolytic, antidiarrhoeal, antisecretory, bronchodilatory and urinary bladder relaxant properties of Hyoscyamus niger to rationalize some of its medicinal uses. The crude extract of H. niger seeds (Hn.Cr) caused a complete concentration-dependent relaxation of spontaneous contractions of rabbit jejunum, similar to that caused by verapamil, whereas atropine produced pa...

We have investigated the bronchodilator and anti-inflammatory properties of roflumilast (3-cyclopropylmethoxy-4-difluoromethoxy-N-[3,5-dichloropyrid-4-yl]-benzamide), a novel, highly potent, and selective phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitor. Additionally, we compared the effects of roflumilast and its N-oxide, the primary metabolite in vivo, with those of the PDE4 inhibitors piclamilast, rolip...

BACKGROUND Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by airway remodeling with an accumulation of inflammatory cells. There is also increasing evidence that metalloproteinases (MMPs) may contribute to the pathogenesis of COPD, but the influence of agents that used for the treatment of COPD is not well understood. OBJECTIVE We evaluated whether tiotropium bromide hydrate (T...

STUDY OBJECTIVES Despite the widespread use of short-acting, inhaled beta(2)-agonists in acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPDs), little is known about their optimal dose. The aims of this study are to compare the bronchodilator response to incremental doses of inhaled albuterol during and after recovery from an AECOPD, and to compare the effects of regular nebulized albuterol, 2.5 mg and 5 mg, o...