ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Carum roxburghianum is traditionally used in hyperactive gastrointestinal and respiratory disorders. The present study was carried out to investigate the possible gut and airways relaxant potential of Carum roxburghianum to rationalize its folk uses. MATERIALS AND METHODS Crude extract of Carum roxburghianum (Cr.Cr) was studied in in vivo and in vitro techniques...

BACKGROUND This randomized, double-blind, Phase IIIb study evaluated the 24-hour bronchodilatory efficacy of aclidinium bromide versus placebo and tiotropium in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS Patients received aclidinium 400 μg twice daily (morning and evening), tiotropium 18 μg once daily (morning), or placebo for 6 weeks. The primary e...

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the sixth-leading cause of death in the US. The Global initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations for the clinical management of chronic COPD. Long-acting inhaled bronchodilators continue to be the mainstay of current management. Aclidinium bromide (Tudorza™ Pressair™) joins tiotropium ...

INTRODUCTION One-year mortality in COPD patients is reported to be between 4% and 43%, depending on the group examined. AIM To examine the one-year mortality in COPD patients after severe exacerbation and the correlation between mortality and patients' characteristics and comorbidities. METHODS A total of 152 COPD patients hospitalized for severe exacerbation were assessed for vitamin D sta...

Objective(s) In the present study, the differences in the relaxant effects of aqueous, ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions of Rosa damascena on tracheal smooth muscle of guinea pigs were examined. Materials and Methods The relaxant effects of three cumulative concentrations of each fraction (0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 g%) in comparison with saline and three cumulative concentrations of theophylline ...

In the previous studies the relaxant, anti-cholinergic (functional antagonism) and anti-histaminic effects of Nigella sativa have been demonstrated on guinea pig tracheal chains. To elucidate the main substance responsible for the relaxant effect of this plant, the effect of thymoquinone, one of the main constituent of Nigella sativa was examined in this study. The bronchodilatory effects of th...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP) is a neuropeptide, expressed by lymphoid as well as neural cells, which has diverse effects on the cellular mediators of inflammation and immunity and is also a potent neurotransmitter. VIP seems to have a major role in the homeostasis of the respiratory system, while several studies, including clinical trials, suggest that VIP-inhaled agoni...

AIM OF THE STUDY Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the lungs, characterized by increased sensitivity to bronchoconstriction associated with infiltration of immune cells, mucus hypersecretion and structural remodelling of the airways. In South Africa, the indigenous plant Siphonochilus aethiopicus, is used by traditional health practitioners to treat colds, wheezing of the chest, cough...

Deep inspirations (DIs) are large periodic breathing maneuvers that regulate airway caliber and prevent airway obstruction in vivo. This study characterized the intrinsic response of the intact airway to DI, isolated from parenchymal attachments and other in vivo interactions. Porcine isolated bronchial segments were constricted with carbachol and subjected to transmural pressures of 5-10 cmH2O...

The diagnosis and management of chronic respiratory symptoms was studied in all adults aged 40-70 years in a group general practice. A respiratory symptoms screening questionnaire was sent to 2387 men and women, of whom 1444 (85% of those who had not moved or died) responded. The 509 subjects reporting symptoms were sent a detailed questionnaire and invited to have their respiratory function te...