title: Pharmacologic bronchodilation response to salbutamol in COPD patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) is the most characteristic feature of asthma, which is reported in COPD patients and smokers. Increased airway responsiveness to ί-agonists is also demonstrated in asthmatics as well as smokers. However, there is no report regarding AHR to ί-agonist drugs in COPD patients. Therefore, in this study pharmacologic bronchodilation response to salbutamol in COPD patients was examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  The threshold concentrations of inhaled salbutamol required for a 20% change in forced expiratory flow in 1 sec (FEV 1 ) as PC 20 , or a 35% change in specific airway conductance (sGaw) as PC 35 was measured in 14 COPD patients and 14 normal subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Airway responsiveness to salbutamol in COPD patients (PC 20 = 14.14 ± 1.62 and PC 35 = 9.70 ± 1.48 mg/l) was significantly lower than normal subjects (PC 20 = 224.57 ± 16.62 and PC 35 = 81.87 ± 8.16 mg/l, P < 0.001 for both cases). The values of FEV 1 and sGaw in COPD patients (56.43 ± 14.45 and 0.081 ± 0.120 respectively) were significantly lower than those of normal subjects (104.07 ± 5.72 and 0.194 ± 0.041 respectively), (P < 0.001 for FEV 1 and P < 0.005 for sGaw). There was a significant correlation between FEV 1 with PC 20 salbutamol (r = 0.862, P < 0.001). The correlations between PC 20 and PC 35 was also statistically significant (r = 0.862, P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results showed increased airway responsiveness of most COPD patients to salbutamol which was highly correlated to airway caliber.
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. boskabadymh@mums.ac.ir
authors.forename: Morteza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boskabady
authors.forename: Mohammad Hossein
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Boskabady
authors.forename: Fariba
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mansouri
authors.forename: Mohammad Naser
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Shafei
mesh_terms: D058666:Adrenergic beta-2 Receptor Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000420:Albuterol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001980:Bronchi / Q000187:drug effects*; D001985:Bronchial Provocation Tests; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D058666:Adrenergic beta-2 Receptor Agonists; D000420:Albuterol