Bronchodilators, the most common type of asthma-fighting drug, inhibit contractions of airway smooth muscle that are induced by stimulating receptors on the muscle’s surface.
In a study from the Dundalk Institute of Technology and elsewhere, scientists found a novel mechanism for the drugs that will aid in the development of better medications for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Asthma and COPD are common lung disorders—caused by excessive constriction of the airways—that make breathing difficult.
Bronchodilators, also known as beta-adrenoceptor agonists, relax airway smooth muscles and open the airways to make breathing easier.
These drugs bind to beta-adrenoceptors located on airway muscle cells and cause them to relax.
Constriction of the airways is regulated in the nerves, which release a chemical called acetylcholine. This chemical causes the airways to constrict and narrow.
For patients with COPD, the constrictor effects of acetylcholine are enhanced.
It has been long known that beta-adrenoceptor agonists could reverse the constricting effects of acetylcholine on airway smooth muscle, but it has not been fully clear how this occurs.
The team says it is important to understand how these medications work to assist with the future development of more effective drugs with fewer side effects.
If you care about lung health, please read studies about how to reverse high blood pressure in the lungs, and this herbal supplement may help treat lung cancer.
For more information about health, please see recent studies that common asthma drugs may help treat COVID-19, and results showing past COVID-19 infection, but not vaccination, could boost antibodies.
The study was conducted by Tuleen Alkawadri et al and published in Function
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