Abstract
The present study was undertaken to determine the effect of furosemide on antigen-induced bronchoconstriction. Ten patients with stable asthma (eight men and two women), aged 17 to 48 years, were challenged with the same dose of allergen ( Dermatophagoides pteronissinus, Parietaria, and grass mix) that had induced an FEV 1 fall of at least 20% in a preliminary study on two occasions: immediately after placebo and furosemide (~28 mg) administered by inhalation in random order and double-blind. Furosemide did not demonstrate any direct bronchodilator effect but markedly attenuated allergen-induced bronchoconstriction. The mean (95% confidence interval) maximum fall in FEV 1 was 31.5% (40.2% to 22.8%) after placebo and 8.4% (11.8% to 4.9%) after furosemide administration. Furosemide, administered by aerosol to anesthetized guinea pigs actively sensitized to ovalbumin, dose dependently protected the animals from anaphylactic reaction. Infusion of furosemide (10 mg/kg for 10 minutes) failed to protect the animals from the anaphylactic response. In nonsensitized guinea pigs, the cardiovascular and pulmonary changes induced by histamine (10 μg/kg intravenously [i.v.]), leukotriene C 4 (1 μg/kg i.v.), and platelet-activating factor (0.1 μg/kg i.v.) were not modified by aerosol administration of furosemide (10 mg/ml for 10 minutes). In conclusion, inhaled furosemide induces a clear-cut protection against immediate obstructive reaction caused by areoallergerns and ovalbumin, both in subjects with asthma and actively sensitized guinea pigs, respectively.
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