title: The use of sterically stabilized liposomes to treat asthma.
abstract: Asthma is characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness, chronic inflammation, and airway remodeling, which may lead to progressive, irreversible lung damage. Liposomes have been used for the delivery of aerosolized asthma medications into the lungs. This method could facilitate sustained action of steroids while using only a fraction of the dosage and a less frequent dosing interval than conventional therapy. We describe the evaluation of the effect of budesonide encapsulated in sterically stabilized liposomes on lung inflammation and airway hyperreactivity in a mouse model of asthma. We outline the determination of markers implicated in the progression of asthma, including histopathology, eosinophil peroxidase activity in bronchoalveolar lavage, and airway hyperresponsiveness to methacholine. Weekly administration of budesonide in sterically stabilized liposomes results in a significant reduction in the total lung inflammation score, peripheral blood eosinophil counts, and the total serum IgE level, similar to that obtained with daily budesonide. Airway hyperresponsiveness to methacholine challenge decreases significantly in the group treated with weekly budesonide in sterically stabilized liposomes, while it does not decrease in the daily budesonide group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Zablocki Veterans Administration Medical Center, and Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA.
authors.forename: Kameswari S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Konduri
authors.forename: Sandhya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nandedkar
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Rickaby
authors.forename: Nejat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Düzgüneş
authors.forename: Pattisapu R J
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Gangadharam
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D016085:Bronchoconstrictor Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019819:Budesonide / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D047209:Eosinophil Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D008081:Liposomes / Q000737:chemistry; D008168:Lung / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016210:Methacholine Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice
chemical_list: D016085:Bronchoconstrictor Agents; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D008081:Liposomes; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D019819:Budesonide; D047209:Eosinophil Peroxidase