title: Effect of three different doses of a slow-release theophylline formulation on bronchial response to inhaled methacholine in asthmatic patients.
abstract: This study investigated whether or not a sustained release formulation of theophylline (SRT) at different dosages had any effect on bronchial hyperresponsiveness as measured by the methacholine challenge. On four separate occasions, 16 patients with mild asthma took either placebo or 300, 400, 500 mg of SRT twice a day. SRT had a slight bronchodilating effect that was not dose-related, but produced a dose-related decrease in the bronchial response to inhaled methacholine (r = 0.39, p = 0.007). This effect was present after all three treatment periods with the active drug when mean +/- SE theophylline serum concentrations of 10.3 +/- 0.7, 12.6 +/- 0.9 and 17.1 +/- 1.1 mg/l respectively were reached. A highly significant relationship between theophylline serum concentration and the degree of protection against methacholine bronchospasm was also found (r = 0.45, p = 0.001). It is concluded that oral theophylline does reduce bronchial hyperresponsiveness in a dose dependent fashion, this effect being present at all the serum concentrations within the normal range.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Semeiotica e Nefrologia Medica, University of Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olivieri
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lampronti
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Biasin
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lo Cascio
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000188:drug therapy; D001985:Bronchial Provocation Tests; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D008875:Middle Aged; D013806:Theophylline / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D013806:Theophylline