Asthma Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Asthma, including details on symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, causes, medications.

Effect of an inhaled adenosine A2A agonist on the allergen-induced late asthmatic response.

Luijk B, van den Berge M, Kerstjens HA, Postma DS, Cass L, Sabin A, Lammers JW

Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Heart Lung Center Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

BACKGROUND: Adenosine receptor activation is suggested to play a role in asthmatic airway inflammation. Inhibition of adenosine receptors may have an effect on the late asthmatic response (LAR) after allergen inhalation and this mechanism could offer a potential new treatment in asthma. METHODS: We evaluated the effect of an inhaled adenosine-(2A) (A(2A))-receptor agonist (GW328267X), 25 microg, in 15 nonsmoking atopic asthmatics who underwent an inhaled allergen challenge following twice daily treatment for 1 week in a double-blind, placebo- and fluticasone propionate (250 microg) controlled study. RESULTS: In contrast to fluticasone, treatment with the A(2A)-receptor agonist neither significantly protect against the allergen-induced early and late asthmatic reaction, nor the accompanying inflammatory response as measured by sputum total cell counts, number of EG2+ cells, and the concentration of interleukin-8 and eosinophil cationic protein. CONCLUSION: The inhaled A(2A)-receptor agonist, GW328267X, 25 microg does not affect the allergen-induced LAR or the associated inflammatory response in asthma.

Published 6 December 2007 in Allergy, 63(1): 75-80.
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