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  • Title: Methoctramine induces nonspecific airway hyperresponsiveness in vivo.
    Author: Howell RE, Kovalsky MP, Laemont KD.
    Journal: Eur J Pharmacol; 1994 Nov 14; 265(1-2):67-75. PubMed ID: 7883031.
    Abstract:
    We investigated the effects of subtype-selective muscarinic receptor antagonists upon aerosol antigen-induced bronchoconstriction in anesthetized guinea pigs. Neither pirenzepine (muscarinic M1 receptor-selective), 4-methylpiperidine methiodide (4-DAMP, muscarinic M3 receptor-selective), [N-iminomethyl-N'-[(2-hydroxy-2-phenyl-2-cyclohexyl)-ethyl] piperazine HCl (DAC-5945, muscarinic M3 receptor-selective), ipratropium or atropine inhibited bronchoconstriction, but methoctramine (muscarinic M2 receptor-selective) produced a dose-dependent increase in bronchoconstriction (up to 46%). Methoctramine also produced increases in bronchoconstriction induced by aerosols of histamine (up to 45%) and platelet activating factor (up to 118%), demonstrating nonspecific airway hyperresponsiveness. This effect of methoctramine was not inhibited by atropine, DAC-5945 or vagotomy and could not be attributed to altered arachidonic acid metabolism or beta-adrenergic antagonism. However, propranolol prevented methoctramine-induced airway hyperresponsiveness, suggesting that this effect resulted from the reported ganglionic blocking activity of methoctramine. In conclusion, muscarinic receptors do not appear to play an important role in antigen-induced bronchoconstriction in anesthetized guinea pigs. Furthermore, caution should be exercised in using methoctramine to characterize the roles of muscarinic receptors in airway inflammatory responses in vivo.
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