Inpharma 1261 - 28 Oct 2000

Single doses of antiasthmaticsinhibit EIA

Single doses of the long-acting β2-agonist salmeterol,the leukotriene receptor antagonists montelukast andzafirlukast and the 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor zileutonresult in similar attenuation of exercise-inducedbronchoconstriction in patients with exercise-inducedasthma (EIA), say researchers from the US. However,they add that the duration of action is shorter afterzileuton administration.

In this study, 10 patients with EIA received singledoses of inhaled salmeterol 42µg, oral montelukast10mg, oral zafirlukast 20mg, oral zileuton 600mg andplacebo, in a crossover fashion. Patients underwentexercise provocation tests involving 4 minutes ofexhausting exercise while breathing frigid air 1, 4, 8 and12 hours after drug and placebo administration.

Smaller reductions in FEV1

During the 12 hours after placebo administration, themean reductions from baseline in FEV1 induced byexercise provocation ranged from 21 to 26%. Incontrast, the mean reductions from baseline in FEV1

induced by exercise provocation 1 hour afteradministration of salmeterol, montelukast, zafirlukastand zileuton were 8, 8, 14 and 9%, respectively; all weresignificantly different to placebo. The correspondingreductions at 12 hours were 8, 9, 11 and 19%,respectively; all but zileuton remained significantlydifferent to placebo.

The researchers say that ‘it appears that theantileukotriene compounds with the best activity againstEIA are the receptor antagonists’.Coreno A, et al. Comparative effects of long-acting beta-2-agonists, leukotrienereceptor antagonists, and a 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor on exercise-induced asthma.Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 106: 500-506, Sep 2000 800846906

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Inpharma 28 Oct 2000 No. 12611173-8324/10/1261-0001/$14.95 Adis © 2010 Springer International Publishing AG. All rights reserved