title: Screening methods for antiasthmatic agents.
abstract: Bronchial asthma is characterized by both bronchoconstriction and airway inflammation which leads to bronchial hyperresponsiveness to various stimuli. Different mediators are implicated in asthma. As the precise etiology is not known and multiple biochemical processes are triggered by different causative factors, it is difficult to have a single drug which can effectively and simultaneously act upon different mediators. This led to an intense search for potent and safe antiasthmatic drugs. This review intends to compile different screening methods for the evaluation of new candidate drugs with potential for the treatment of asthma. These include in vitro, in vivo, receptor binding and enzymatic methods. Detailed experimental methods have been included with appropriate literature citations.
authors.affiliation: University College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kakatiya University, Warangal, India. raghumed@hotmail.com
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Prabhakar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016084:Bronchoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology; D015550:Cell Degranulation; D006224:Cricetinae; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D018047:Receptors, Purinergic P1 / Q000378:metabolism; D013929:Thromboxane B2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014132:Trachea / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors; D018047:Receptors, Purinergic P1; D013929:Thromboxane B2; D002118:Calcium