Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways.
Many cells and mediators are involved in airway inflammation.
Cysteinyl leukotrienes C4, D4, and E4 are important inflammatory mediators of asthma.
Cysteinyl leukotrienes C4, D4, and E4 cause:
• bronchoconstriction
• mucosal edema
• mucus plugging
• cellular infiltration
and are important mediators of the inflammatory response.
There are two subtypes of the cysteinyl leukotriene receptor; CysLT1 and CysLT2. Only CysLT1 is present in human airways.
Accolate is a potent, competitive antagonist of CysLT1 receptor.
Stimuli of asthma cause cells in the airway to produce leukotrienes which cause many of the signs and symptoms of asthma. Accolate blocks the effects of the leukotrienes.
References
Holgate ST and Dahlen S-E (Eds.) SRS-A to Leukotrienes. The Dawning of a New Treatment. Oxford: Blackwell; 1997. |
