title: Asthma: Chronopharmacotherapy and the molecular clock.
abstract: Bronchial asthma is characterized by chronic airways inflammation and reversible airflow limitation. In patients with asthma, symptoms generally worsen during the early hours of the morning, and pulmonary function often deteriorates at the same time, suggesting a role for chronopharmacotherapy. Several drugs for asthma have been developed based on chronopharmacology. Most medications employed for the chronotherapy of asthma are administered once at night with the goal of preventing chronic airway inflammation or development of airflow limitation. In addition to bronchodilators, the inhaled glucocorticosteroid ciclesonide is now available with once-daily dosing, which also improves patients' compliance. Numerous investigations have demonstrated the usefulness of chronotherapy for asthma, especially for patients with nocturnal asthma. This review focuses on chronotherapy of asthma, and also provides a molecular biological explanation for the influence of asthma medications on the clock genes.
authors.affiliation: Tottori University, Yonago, Japan. burioka@grape.med.tottori-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Burioka
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukuoka
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koyanagi
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyata
authors.forename: Miyako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takata
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chikumi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takane
authors.forename: Masanari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sako
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suyama
authors.forename: Shigehiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohdo
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shimizu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D057906:Circadian Clocks / Q000502:physiology*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D055870:Drug Chronotherapy; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D055118:Medication Adherence; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids