The combined effects of histamine and methacholine on the maximal degree of airway narrowing in normal humans in vivo.

In normal subjects in vivo the dose-response curve to inhaled nonsensitizing stimuli reaches a plateau at mild degrees of airway narrowing. We investigated whether the limitation of the response is due to non-optimal smooth muscle activation, by administering high doses of histamine and methacholine together. In fifteen normal subjects a complete dose-response curve to methacholine was recorded by a tidal breathing method on three randomized days. On a separate day a complete histamine inhalation test was carried out. Each methacholine test was directly followed by double blind inhalation of the highest dose of either histamine or methacholine, or a dose of saline. The response was measured by flows from partial flow-volume curves (V 40p), and was expressed in % fall from baseline. Twelve subjects reached a maximal response plateau to methacholine which was reproducible. The addition of saline or extra methacholine did not change the response from its methacholine plateau value. Histamine caused a small increase in the response on top of the methacholine plateau (+ 9.0% fall; p less than 0.001). However, the response to the combined histamine and methacholine was not significantly larger than the maximal response to histamine alone. We conclude that there is no interaction between histamine and methacholine on the maximal degree of airway narrowing. This suggests that the plateau of the dose-response curve in normal subjects in vivo is due to other factors than limited smooth muscle activation.