Usmani Omar S, Belvisi Maria G, Patel Hema J, Crispino Natascia, Birrell Mark A, Korbonits Márta, Korbonits Dezso, Barnes Peter J
Department of Thoracic Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK.
FASEB J. 2005 Feb;19(2):231-3. doi: 10.1096/fj.04-1990fje. Epub 2004 Nov 17.
Cough is a common and protective reflex, but persistent coughing is debilitating and impairs quality of life. Antitussive treatment using opioids is limited by unacceptable side effects, and there is a great need for more effective remedies. The present study demonstrates that theobromine, a methylxanthine derivative present in cocoa, effectively inhibits citric acid-induced cough in guinea-pigs in vivo. Furthermore, in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in man, theobromine suppresses capsaicin-induced cough with no adverse effects. We also demonstrate that theobromine directly inhibits capsaicin-induced sensory nerve depolarization of guinea-pig and human vagus nerve suggestive of an inhibitory effect on afferent nerve activation. These data indicate the actions of theobromine appear to be peripherally mediated. We conclude theobromine is a novel and promising treatment, which may form the basis for a new class of antitussive drugs.
咳嗽是一种常见的保护性反射，但持续性咳嗽会使人虚弱并损害生活质量。使用阿片类药物进行镇咳治疗受到不可接受的副作用的限制，因此迫切需要更有效的治疗方法。本研究表明，可可中含有的甲基黄嘌呤衍生物可可碱在体内可有效抑制柠檬酸诱导的豚鼠咳嗽。此外，在一项针对人类的随机、双盲、安慰剂对照研究中，可可碱可抑制辣椒素诱导的咳嗽，且无不良影响。我们还证明，可可碱可直接抑制辣椒素诱导的豚鼠和人类迷走神经感觉神经去极化，提示其对传入神经激活有抑制作用。这些数据表明可可碱的作用似乎是由外周介导的。我们得出结论，可可碱是一种新颖且有前景的治疗方法，可能为新型镇咳药物奠定基础。
