title: Pulmonary gas exchange responses to histamine and methacholine challenges in mild asthma.
abstract: Histamine (HIST) produces greater changes in bronchial and pulmonary vasculature, and so may produce more gas exchange abnormalities, than methacholine (MTH) after inhalational challenge. The goals of this study were to compare the effects of HIST and MTH challenge on pulmonary gas exchange in patients with mild asthma at an equivalent degree of bronchoconstriction. Eleven patients were studied (mean+/-SEM age, 22+/-1 yr; forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), 91+/-5% pred) using a randomized, double-blind cross-over design. Respiratory system resistance (Rrs), arterial blood gases, and ventilation-perfusion distributions were measured before and after HIST/MTH challenges when cumulative doses caused a 30% fall in FEV1. Compared with baseline, HIST and MTH provoked similar moderate to severe increases in Rrs (p<0.005 each), and mild to moderate decreases in arterial oxygen tension (Pa,O2) due to ventilation-perfusion abnormalities (dispersion of pulmonary blood flow -log SDQ-, 0.40+/-0.03-0.71+/-0.08 and 0.47+/-0.04-0.89+/-0.06; normal values <0.60-0.65), respectively, similar to those shown in mild to moderate acute asthma, without differences between them. For the same degree of airflow obstruction, both histamine and methacholine bronchoprovocations induce, in patients with mild asthma, very similar disturbances in ventilation-perfusion distribution and respiratory system resistance, suggesting similar mechanisms of airway narrowing.
authors.affiliation: Dept de Medicina, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Echazarreta
authors.forename: F P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ribas
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sala
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Barberà
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roca
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Roisin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000403:Airway Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006632:Histamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016210:Methacholine Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010313:Partial Pressure; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange / Q000187:drug effects*; D014692:Ventilation-Perfusion Ratio
chemical_list: D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D006632:Histamine; D010100:Oxygen