BACKGROUND Inhalational insulin was withdrawn from market in 2007 due to its potential to produce airway hyper-reactivity and bronchoconstriction. So we explored the possible mechanism underlying the acute contractile effects of insulin and protective effects of beclomethasone against insulin induced airway hyper-responsiveness on isolated tracheal smooth muscle of guinea pig in vitro. METHOD...

INTRODUCTION Liver X receptors (LXRs) are nuclear receptors that function as cholesterol sensors and regulate cholesterol homeostasis. High cholesterol has been recognized as a risk factor in asthma; however, the mechanism of this linkage is not known. METHODS To explore the importance of cholesterol homeostasis for asthma, we investigated the contribution of LXR activity in an ovalbumin- and...

Cisneros et al report associations between scores on the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) and three indices of bronchial reactivity (doseeresponse slope (DRS), continuous index of responsiveness (CIR) and bronchial reactivity index (BRI)), which they suggest are qualitatively different from sensitivity, measured by PD20FEV1. This conclusion is questionable. First, there are no meanin...

Asthma, a common disorder that affects >250 million people worldwide, is defined by exaggerated bronchoconstriction to inflammatory mediators including acetylcholine (ACh), bradykinin and histamine-also termed airway hyper-responsiveness. Nearly 10% of people with asthma have severe, treatment-resistant disease, which is frequently associated with immunoglobulin-E sensitization to ubiquitous fu...

Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition characterized by airway inflammation and hyper-reactivity. prevalence has continued to rise in recent decades as Western dietary patterns have become more pervasive. Evidence suggests that diets emphasizing the consumption of plant-based foods might protect against asthma development improve symptoms through their effects on systemic inflammation, oxida...

Long-term evidence supports a clustering of cardiovascular events in the early morning. Several studies have shown that platelet hyper-reactivity to various stimuli is also present at this period of the day. However, the idea of treatment strategies reflecting the circadian variation in platelet reactivity has been largely neglected so far, and this is true despite the huge number of patients b...

Asthma is characterised by airway hyperreactivity, which is primarily treated with β-adrenergic bronchodilators and anti-inflammatory agents. However, mechanical strain during breathing is an important modulator of airway responsiveness and we have previously demonstrated in animal models that continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) resulted in lower in vivo airway reactivity. We now evaluat...

Tobacco smoke (TS) exposure induces airway hyperreactivity, particularly in sensitive individuals with asthma. However, the mechanism of this airway hyperreactivity is not well understood. To investigate the relative susceptibility of atopic and nonatopic individuals to TS-induced airway hyperreactivity, we exposed ovalbumin (OA)-sensitized and nonsensitized guinea pigs to TS exposure (5 mg/l a...

Asthma is traditionally defined as a chronic, multisystem, multicellular disease characterized by bronchial hyper-responsiveness (BHR) and lung inflammation. In this illness is particularly involving the airway epithelium as the place where the inflammation begins, develops and often returns through airway remodelling. In specific way there is also an evolving awareness of the active participat...