Beta2-adrenoceptor agonists asthma

Cockcroft DW. As-needed inhaled beta2-adrenoceptor agonists in moderate-to-severe asthma current recommendations. Treat Respir Med. 2005 4 169-174. 

Sears MR, Lotvall J. Past, present and future—beta2-adrenoceptor agonists in asthma management. Respir Med. 2005 99 152-170. 

Beta2-adrenoceptor agonists are widely used in asthma and have inevitably been associated with a number of problems. Some of these are attributable to the drugs themselves, others to the formulations in which they are given. 

Inhalation of pentamidine can cause intolerable coughing. Bronchospasm can occur, especially in cases of asthma tolerance of inhaled pentamidine is increased in nearly all patients by pretreatment with inhaled beta2-adrenoceptor agonists (SEDA-16, 313) (SEDA-17, 330) (SEDA-18, 290) (4). 

Salbutamol (albuterol) is a beta2-adrenoceptor agonist used to treat asthma. It is available in various formulations ... 

Salmeterol is a selective beta2-adrenoceptor agonist that is more potent and has a significantly longer duration of action than salbutamol (SEDA-21, 184). It is used as a supplement to inhaled glucocorticoids for sustained bronchodUatation. It has a much slower onset of effect than salbutamol and is not effective in acute attacks of asthma. It is available as a multidose-pressurized aerosol 0.025 mg/puff, and as a dry powder, Diskhaler or Accuhaler 0.05 mg per dose. The adverse effects profile of salmeterol is the same as that of salbutamol and other betaz-agonists (SEDA-21, 185). 

Baclofen, withdrawal syndrome, 26.152 Bambuterol, cardiac failure, 23.181 Benzodiazepines brain damage, 14.36 dependence, 12.41 depression, 17.43 medicolegal aspects, 13.33 Beta2-adrenoceptor agonists, 18.159 asthma, 19.178, 21.179 asthma deaths, 17.164 long-acting, respiratory adverse effects,... 

Hancox RJ, Sears MR, Taylor DR. (1998) Polymorphism of the beta2-adrenoceptor and the response to long-term beta2-agonist therapy in asthma. Eur Respir J. 11, 589-593. 

An alternative hypothesis has been proposed to explain why beta2-agonists lose their bronchoprotective effect while retaining a bronchodilator effect. The beta2-agonists currently available for treating asthma consist of racemic mixtures of equal amounts of two stereoisomers, the i -isomer (or L-isomer), which is the beta-adrenoceptor agonist, and the 5-isomer (o-isomer) which is inactive. 

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