title: Effects of exercise training on airway closure in asthmatics.
abstract: We previously reported that responsiveness to methacholine (Mch) in the absence of deep inspiration (DI) decreased in healthy subjects after a short course of exercise training. We assessed whether a similar beneficial effect of exercise on airway responsiveness could occur in asthmatics. Nine patients (male/female: 3/6; mean age ± SD: 24 ± 2 yr) with mild untreated asthma [forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)): 100 ± 7.4% pred; FEV(1)/vital capacity (VC): 90 ± 6.5%] underwent a series of single-dose Mch bronchoprovocations in the absence of DI in the course of a 10-wk training rowing program (6 h/wk of submaximal and maximal exercise), at baseline (week 0), and at week 5 and 10. The single-dose Mch was established as the dose able to induce ≥ 15% reduction in inspiratory vital capacity (IVC) and was administered to each subject at every challenge occasion. Five asthmatics (male/female: 1/4; mean age ± SD: 26 ± 3 yr) with similar baseline lung function (FEV(1): 102 ± 7.0% predicted; FEV(1)/VC: 83 ± 6.0%; P = 0.57 and P = 0.06, respectively) not participating in the exercise training program served as controls. In the trained group, the Mch-induced reduction in IVC from baseline was 22 ± 10% at week 0, 13 ± 11% at week 5 (P = 0.03), and 11 ± 8% at week 10 (P = 0.028). The Mch-induced reduction in FEV(1) did not change with exercise (P = 0.69). The reduction in responsiveness induced by exercise was of the same magnitude of that previously obtained in healthy subjects (50% with respect to pretraining). Conversely, Mch-induced reduction in IVC in controls remained unchanged after 10 wk (%reduction IVC at baseline: 21 ± 20%; after 10 wk: 29 ± 14%; P = 0.28). This study indicates that a short course of physical training is capable of reducing airway responsiveness in mild asthmatics.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Pulmonology, DIBIMIS University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors: Nicola
authors: N
authors: Scichilone
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: Morici
authors: Daniele
authors: D
authors: Zangla
authors: Rita
authors: R
authors: Arrigo
authors: Irene
authors: I
authors: Cardillo
authors: Vincenzo
authors: V
authors: Bellia
authors: Maria Rosaria
authors: MR
authors: Bonsignore
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D016085:Bronchoconstrictor Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007320:Inspiratory Capacity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D016210:Methacholine Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D013147:Spirometry / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016085:Bronchoconstrictor Agents; D016210:Methacholine Chloride