title: Measuring the bronchial effect of bronchodilating drugs in healthy subjects after methacholine provocation. Salbutamol as a model drug.
abstract: To study whether it would be possible to assess bronchodilating drugs in healthy subjects with methacholine - induced bronchoconstriction, salbutamol 100, 200 and 300 micrograms was inhaled in random order by 12 healthy volunteers in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Dose response "slope" (DRS = maximum percentage fall in pulmonary function/maximal noncumulative methacholine dose (mumols] was used as an index of bronchial reactivity, and was calculated for forced expiratory flow volume in 1 s (DRSFEV1) and area under the flow-volume curve (DRSAEFV). Bronchial reactivity and its reproducibility were first tested by a standard methacholine provocation method. An abbreviated, single-dose method was used to measure the effect of salbutamol. The reproducibility of methacholine provocation was good, and the single-dose and standard methods gave comparable results. The DRS-values of all the doses of salbutamol differed significantly from placebo and from each other. AEFV did not show any advantage over the FEV1 in this context. A significant negative association between the dose of salbutamol (microgram/kg) and airway reactivity was observed. In conclusion, use of the DRS showed it possible to evaluate the protective efficacy of beta 2-adrenergic agonists against induced bronchoconstriction in healthy subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: O P
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Seppälä
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Iisalo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000420:Albuterol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001980:Bronchi / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D001985:Bronchial Provocation Tests; D016084:Bronchoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D016210:Methacholine Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D000420:Albuterol