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Biomedical subjects

R D Monie

Publications and source records attributed to R D Monie.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

Plasma cyclic nucleotide levels in exercise-induced asthma.

It is known that sympatho-adrenal control of airways is increased in asthma since beta blockade can cause severe bronchoconstriction in asthmatic individuals. It has not been established whether an altered catecholamine response to exercise plays any part in the production of the common symptom of exercise-induced asthma (EIA). We have investigated this indirectly by measuring arterial plasma cyclic nucleotide levels in 10 subjects with EIA and five normal subjects. Cyclic AMP, which in this context reflects beta stimulation, rose significantly by 25.4% in the normal subjects during exercise, while there was no significant change during or after exercise (less than 5%) in the asthmatic subjects. Cyclic GMP rose significantly after exercise in the asthmatic subjects. Six normal subjects repeated the protocol before and after inhalation of salbutamol aerosol, 1600 microgram daily for 18 days. This did not reduce the cAMP response to exercise, and we conclude that the diminished cAMP response of the asthmatic subjects was not caused by their medication. The results may indicate either impaired catecholamine production or endogenous beta receptor hyporesponsiveness in some asthmatic subjects and this may contribute to the development of EIA.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Aminophylline, salbutamol and combined intravenous infusions in acute severe asthma.

Twenty-one patients admitted to hospital with acute severe asthma were allocated in a random, single-blind manner to receive intravenous infusions for 24 hours or either aminophylline or salbutamol or a combination of the two drugs. Infusions were administered by a slow infusion pump with an initial loading dose given over 15 minutes, followed by a continuous lower dose of the drug 24 hours as follows: 1. Aminophylline 0.285 mg/kg/min for 15 min followed by 0.014 mg/kg/min (20 mg/min. followed by 1 mg/min for a 70 kg subject). 2. Salbutamol 0.285 microgram/kg/min for 15 min followed by 0.057 microgram/kg/min (20 microgram/min followed by 4 microgram/min for a 70 kg subject). 3. Combined regimen of the above infusions. In addition each patient received intravenous hydrocortisone (4 g) and potassium chloride (4 g) in 2 litres of 5% dextrose infused over 24 hours amd 35% oxygen given via a Ventimask. Peak expiratory flow rates showed a significant improvement after 15 minutes treatment with aminophylline and the combined infusion, but this was not seen until 60 minutes with the salbutamol infusion. No synergistic bronchodilator effect was seen with the combined infusion. The results show that intravenous aminophylline is superior to intravenous salbutamol in the doses given in the initial treatment of acute asthma and that the combination when given intravenously is not better than aminophylline alone.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1979

Acute asthma compared with exacerbations of chronic bronchitis: changes in complement.

Complement levels were measured on admission and at 1 and 7 days following admission in twenty patients with acute severe asthma and ten patients with an acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis. Although no evidence of hypocomplementaemia was found in any patient, there was a mean fall within the normal range of the individual complement components, C4, C3 and factor B in both groups. The mean fall occurred earlier in the bronchitics than in the asthmatics and this may be related to infection or the administration of corticosteroids. There was a significant fall in C3 (P greater than 0.05) in the bronchitics compared with the asthmatics at 24 hr. From our study, however, we could find no evidence of excessive utilization of complement in acute asthma.

Acute Disease↗