comparative study of protective effects of salbutamol and beclomethasone against insulin induced airway hyper-reactivity on isolated tracheal smooth muscle of guinea pig

inhalational insulin was withdrawn from the market due to its potential to produce airway hyper-reactivity and bronchoconstriction. so the present study was designed to explore the acute effects of insulin on airway reactivity of guinea pigs and protective effects of salbutamol and beclomethasone against insulin induced airway hyper-responsiveness on isolated tracheal smooth muscle of guinea pig. effects of varying concentrations of insulin (10-7 to 10-3 m), insulin pretreated with fixed concentration of salbutamol (10-7 m) and beclomethasone (10-6 m ) were studied on isolated tracheal tissue of guinea pig by constructing cumulative concentration response curves. changes in tracheal smooth muscle contractions were recorded on four channel oscillograph. the mean ± sem of maximum amplitudes of contraction with increasing concentrations of insulin, insulin pretreated with fixed concentration of salbutamol and beclomethasone were 35 ± 1.13 mm, 14.55 ± 0.62 mm and 22 ± 1.154 mm respectively. although salbutamol and beclomethasone both had a profound inhibitory effect on insulin induced airway hyper-reactivity, yet salbutamol is more efficacious than beclomethasone. so we suggest that pretreatment of inhaled insulin with salbutamol may be preferred over beclomethasone in amelioration of its potential respiratory adverse effects such as bronchoconstriction.