Background: Roflumilast, an oral, once-daily phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor, is currently in clinical development for the treatment of asthma. Objectives: This pilot study examined the effect of roflumilast on allergen-induced airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) to histamine challenge and asthmatic response to allergen challenge. Methods: In a randomized, double-blind, 2-period, crossover trial, 13 patients with mild allergic asthma [mean forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) % predicted = 86%] received a single dose of oral roflumilast 1,000 µg or placebo. Patients were administered roflumilast 60 min before allergen challenge, and asthmatic responses were assessed via change in FEV1 ≤9 h after allergen challenge. AHR to histamine provocation was measured before and repeated 24 h after allergen provocation. Patients inhaled histamine in doubling concentrations until attaining a decrease in FEV1 of ≤20% (PC20FEV1). Results: Roflumilast had no detectable bronchodilator activity 60 min after administration. Roflumilast significantly attenuated AHR compared with placebo, with a mean change in pre- to postallergen challenge PC20FEV1 ratio of 1.23 ± 2.75 and 2.51 ± 2.95 for roflumilast and placebo, respectively (p = 0.002). During the late asthmatic response, roflumilast reduced the mean maximum decrease in FEV1 from 2 to 9 h after allergen challenge compared with placebo (p = 0.005). Additionally, FEV1 at 9 h after challenge was significantly higher in patients treated with roflumilast (p = 0.03). Early asthmatic responses to allergen challenge were not significantly reduced by the single dose of roflumilast. Conclusions: Roflumilast attenuated allergen-induced AHR in patients with mild asthma. These results support further investigation of roflumilast as an anti-inflammatory treatment of asthma.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.