Interactive Acute Smooth Muscle Effects of Salmeterol and Fluticasone in the Airway
Interactive Acute Smooth Muscle Effects of Salmeterol and Fluticasone in the Airway
The addition of an inhaled long-acting beta-adrenergic agonist to an inhaled
 glucocorticosteroid improves disease control in persistent asthma. This observation has
 supported the use of long-acting beta-adrenergic agonist/glucocorticosteroid combination
 preparations for the management of asthma. Currently, salmeterol/fluticasone and
 formoterol/budesonide are available for clinical use. The long-term beneficial clinical
 effects of the two drug classes seem to be synergistic, and several mechanisms of
 glucocorticoid-beta-adrenergic agonist interactions involving gene transcription have been
 invoked to explain this phenomenon.This study, wish to address the question whether
 glucocorticoids can acutely potentiate the bronchodilator response to a long-acting
 beta-adrenergic agonist.We expect that in patients with asthma, the short-term bronchodilator
 effect of salmeterol is enhanced by the addition of fluticasone, which by itself has no
 short-term bronchodilator effect. To test this premise, we will assess the respective
 short-term effects of salmeterol (50 µg), fluticasone (250 µg), salmeterol/fluticasone
 (50/250 µg), and placebo/placebo on spirometric parameters. Airway Blood flow will also be
 measured to ensure that vasoconstriction does not occur.
Fourteen lifetime nonsmokers with a physician diagnosis of asthma will be recruited for the
 study. All subjects will be allowed to use short-acting beta-adrenergic agonists as rescue
 medication.

 Inclusion criteria:

 1. Males and females, 18 to 65 years of age.

 2. FEV1 60-85% of predicted on the screening day.

 Exclusion criteria:

 1. Women of childbearing potential who do not use accepted birth control measures; pregnant
 and breast feeding women.

 2. Cardiovascular disease and/or use of cardiovascular medications

 2. Subjects with known beta-adrenergic agonist or glucocorticosteroid intolerance 4. Acute
 respiratory infection within four weeks prior to the study 5. Use, within two weeks prior to
 the study, of any anti-asthma medication not mentioned above
Inclusion Criteria:

 1. Males and females, 18 to 65 years of age.

 2. FEV1 60-85% of predicted on the screening day. -

 Exclusion Criteria:

 1. Women of childbearing potential who do not use accepted birth control measures; pregnant
 and breast feeding women. 2. Cardiovascular disease and/or use of cardiovascular
 medications 3. Subjects with known beta-adrenergic agonist or glucocorticosteroid
 intolerance 4. Acute respiratory infection within four weeks prior to the study 5. Use,
 within two weeks prior to the study, of any anti-asthma medication not mentioned above

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