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In vitro responsiveness of human asthmatic bronchus to carbachol, histamine, beta‐adrenoceptor agonists and theophylline.
Author(s) -
Goldie RG,
Spina D,
Henry PJ,
Lulich KM,
Paterson JW
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
british journal of clinical pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.216
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1365-2125
pISSN - 0306-5251
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1986.tb02956.x
Subject(s) - fenoterol , histamine , carbachol , theophylline , terbutaline , bronchodilatation , isoprenaline , bronchodilator , tachyphylaxis , asthma , bronchus , endocrinology , medicine , beta adrenoceptor , pharmacology , adrenergic receptor , lung , respiratory disease , receptor , stimulation
Responses of human bronchial strip preparations to contractile and relaxant agonists were measured in preparations from non‐diseased and from asthmatic lung obtained 3‐15 h post‐mortem. The potencies of carbachol and histamine were approximately two times less in asthmatic than in non‐diseased bronchi. This was statistically significant for carbachol (P less than 0.05), but not for histamine (P greater than 0.05). These results clearly indicate that the bronchial hyperreactivity to airway spasmogens observed in asthma is exclusively an in vivo phenomenon not involving increasing sensitivity of bronchial smooth muscle. The potencies of the beta‐adrenoceptor agonists isoprenaline, fenoterol and terbutaline were significantly reduced by 4‐ 5 fold in asthmatic bronchi compared with non‐diseased airways. In contrast, theophylline was equipotent in the two populations of airway preparations. Thus, it appears that severe asthma is associated with decreased bronchial smooth muscle beta 2‐adrenoceptor function.