Xanthines--symptomatic or prophylactic in asthma?

Inhibition of eosinophil cyclic nucleotide PDE activity and opsonised zymosan-stimulated respiratory burst by 'type IV'-selective PDE inhibitors

1. The cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) of guinea-pig eosinophils was partially characterized and the effects of selective inhibitors of PDE isoenzymes upon opsonized zymosan (OZ)-stimulated respiratory burst were studied. 2. PDE activity in eosinophil lysates appeared to be membrane-associated, displayed substrate specificity for adenosine 3':5' cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP) versus guanosine 3':5' cyclic monophosphate (cyclic GMP) and was insensitive to cyclic GMP or Ca2+ and calmodulin. 3. The non-selective PDE inhibitor, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of both OZ-stimulated hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) generation and cyclic AMP hydrolysis. The type IV-selective PDE inhibitors, rolipram and denbufylline, also inhibited H2O2 generation and cyclic AMP hydrolysis in a concentration-dependent manner whilst SK&F 94120 and Org 9935 (type III-selective) and zaprinast (type Ia or V-selective) were ineffective. 4. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP, a cell-permeable, non-hydrolysable analogue of cyclic AMP, caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of H2O2 generation stimulated by OZ. Dibutyryl cyclic GMP was ineffective. 5. It is concluded that eosinophil respiratory burst activity induced by OZ can be regulated by intracellular cyclic AMP and that the levels of cyclic AMP are controlled exclusively by a rolipram- and denbufylline-sensitive PDE isoenzyme that resembles a type IV species.

Effect of different bronchodilators on airway smooth muscle responsiveness to contractile agents

"Functional antagonism" is often used to describe the general relaxant effect of beta 2 agonists and xanthines and their ability to protect the airways against bronchoconstrictor stimuli. This study in guinea pig isolated trachea addresses the question of whether the capacity of these drugs to protect against constrictor stimuli is related to smooth muscle relaxation. Three antimuscarinic drugs were also examined to determine whether antagonism of mediators other than muscarinic agonists might contribute to bronchodilatation by these antimuscarinic drugs. Terbutaline (1.1 x 10(-7), 2.2 x 10(-7) M), theophylline (2.2 x 10(-4), 4.4 x 10(-4) M), and enprofylline (5.2 x 10(-5), 1.0 x 10(-4) M) relaxed the tracheal tension that remained after indomethacin treatment. They did not, however, alter the carbachol concentration-response curve significantly. In addition, neither theophylline (2.2 x 10(-4) M) nor terbutaline (1.1 x 10(-7) M) altered histamine induced contraction. Atropine sulphate, glycopyrrolate, and ipratropium bromide had EC50 values of 10(-9) - 10(-8) M for relaxation of carbachol induced contractions, whereas concentrations of 10(-6) - 10(-3) M or greater were required to relax contractions induced by allergen and nine other non-muscarinic mediators. It is suggested that bronchodilatation by antimuscarinic drugs in vivo is due to inhibition of acetylcholine induced bronchoconstriction alone and that beta 2 agonists and xanthines have poor ability to protect airway smooth muscle against constrictor stimuli. Hence mechanisms other than bronchodilatation and "functional antagonism" should be considered to explain the protection against constrictor stimuli in asthma seen with beta 2 agonists and xanthines.