Development of drug tachyphylaxis in asthmatic patients treated with beta-adrenergic drugs.
The development of drug tolerance in two groups of asthmatics treated with beta-adrenergic bronchodilators was studied by respiratory function methods. During one-year treatment with conventional therapeutic doses of selective beta-2-receptor stimulant aerosols, none of the patients showed subsensitivity to the bronchodilatory effect of terbutaline. Dose-response curves were plotted upon the inhalation of salbutamol in two-week intervals in patients treated with betamimetics. There was no decrease in the airways beta-adrenergic receptor function as compared to the untreated control group. The results show that prolonged treatment with therapeutic doses of inhaled beta-adrenergic bronchodilators does not result in drug tachyphylaxis, which is in accord with the clinical experience that there is no loss of effect of the preparations during their continuous administration.
D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000336:Aerosols; D000403:Airway Resistance / Q000187:drug effects; D000420:Albuterol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013618:Tachyphylaxis; D013726:Terbutaline
D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D000336:Aerosols; D013726:Terbutaline; D000420:Albuterol