Effect of inhaled furosemide on lung clearance of technetium-99m-DTPA.
The diuretic furosemide has been reported to have a protective effect on allergic asthmatic reactions. This study was performed to investigate the effect of aerosolized furosemide on the lung clearance of 99mTc-diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (99mTc-DTPA).


METHODS
Pulmonary clearance rates of 99mTc-DTPA were measured by a computerized gamma camera with and without the inhalation of aerosol furosemide in 6 nonsmoking normal volunteers (Group 1), 7 smokers without pulmonary disease (Group 2) and 11 patients with asthma (Group 3).


RESULTS
None of the six normal volunteers showed significant effects of inhaled furosemide on the 99mTc-DTPA clearance rates. Three of seven smokers presented an accelerated 99mTc-DTPA clearance by inhaled furosemide and the other four showed no significant change of 99mTc-DTPA clearance by furosemide inhalation. However, in 10 of 11 patients with asthma, there was significant suppression of 99mTc-DTPA clearance by furosemide inhalation.


CONCLUSIONS
Asthmatics possess a furosemide-sensitive mechanism. Pulmonary aerosol scintigraphy with 99mTc-DTPA will be useful in predicting the effect of inhaled furosemide therapy.
Inoue
T
T
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Gunma University, School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan.
Shigeta
M
M
Mochizuki
H
H
Shimizu
T
T
Morikawa
A
A
Suzuki
H
H
Watanabe
N
N
Tateno
M
M
Oriuchi
N
N
Hirano
T
T
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005665:Furosemide / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D012907:Smoking / Q000378:metabolism; D016284:Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
D005665:Furosemide; D016284:Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate