Effects of atropine, acetylsalicylic acid, FPL 55712, and phentolamine on increased histamine responsiveness of cat lung strips under conditions of airway inflammation.

Our recent in vitro studies on airway smooth muscles of cats with turpentine oil inflammation showed an increase of isometric tension of the lung strips to histamine application. This communication describes the effect of atropine, acetylsalicylic acid, FPL 55712, and phentolamine on the histamine contractions of the lung strips derived from control and experimental groups of cats. Pretreatment of the lung strips with atropine and acetylsalicylic acid had no significant effect on histamine induced contraction. FPL 55712 significantly decreased the mean values of isometric contractions after the low doses of histamine in experimental groups of strips. The isometric contractions after higher doses of histamine were not affected by FPL 55712 in both groups of strips. The significant increase of histamine contractions of the lung strips induced by experimental inflammation was reduced by phentolamine. The role of alpha adrenergic receptors in the increased responsiveness of the inflamed lung tissues to histamine is discussed.