title: Ineffectiveness of intravenous beta 2-agonists on improving exercise tolerance in patients with reversible chronic airway obstruction.
abstract: The effects on exercise tolerance after acute administration of beta 2-agonists were investigated in 11 patients with partly reversible chronic airway obstruction after 400 micrograms of salbutamol (S) given intravenously (i.v.) and after 400 micrograms i.v. of a new selective beta 2-agonist, broxaterol (B), by a cardiopulmonary incremental exercise test. At rest, while VE increased in respect to basal conditions (C) after S (from 13.3 +/- 2.2 to 14.4 +/- 2.8 l/min; p < 0.05) and after B (from 13.6 +/- 3.1 to 15.5 +/- 3.6 l/min; p < 0.05), VO2, VCO2 and VO2/HR showed no substantial variations. A small, not significant reduction of PaO2 was observed both after S (from 82.7 +/- 11.7 to 79.1 +/- 16.7 mm Hg) and B (from 81.6 +/- 10.5 to 78.0 +/- 11.0 mm Hg). The maximum workload increased neither after S (from 67.5 +/- 39.1 to 66.6 +/- 37.0 W) nor after B (from 65.7 +/- 39.3 to 60.0 +/- 35.8 W). At peak of exercise, VO2, VCO2 and VO2/HR did not change after S and B as compared with C, whereas VE remained higher after both beta 2-agonists throughout the effort. VO2 at ventilatory anaerobic threshold (AT) was significantly greater either after S (from 744 +/- 378 to 815 +/- 302 ml/min; p < 0.05) and after B (from 756 +/- 290 to 842 +/- 292 ml/min; p < 0.05). The PaO2 increase shown by these patients during effort was greater after beta 2-agonists administration, delta PaO2 from rest to peak of exercise amounting to 14.9 +/- 14.3 vs. 7.8 +/- 8.2 mm Hg after S and to 17.8 +/- 15.1 vs. 8.8 +/- 10.9 mm Hg after B, in respect to relative baseline (p < 0.05). We conclude that beta 2-agonists, when given acutely, do not improve exercise tolerance in patients with reversible chronic airflow obstruction, although these drugs can induce a small increment of ventilatory AT. In addition, arterial blood gases do not deteriorate at rest and are better preserved during exercise after beta 2-agonists.
authors.affiliation: Clinica di Medicina Interna I, University of Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malerba
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Boni
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tantucci
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Filippi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Romagnoni
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Grassi
mesh_terms: D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000368:Aged; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000420:Albuterol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D002908:Chronic Disease; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007555:Isoxazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013147:Spirometry
chemical_list: D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D007555:Isoxazoles; D000420:Albuterol; C045916:broxaterol