Inhibition of antigen and calcium ionophore A23187 induced contractions of guinea pig airways by isoprenaline and forskolin.

Isoprenaline and forskolin both inhibit contractions induced by antigen or by the calcium ionophore A23187 of guinea pig tracheal spirals and parenchymal strips. Antigen-induced airway contraction is considerably more sensitive to the inhibitory effects of isoprenaline than is A23187-induced contraction. In contrast, forskolin is equiactive as an inhibitor of antigenic and ionophoric contractions. Forskolin is a more effective inhibitor of the prolonged phase of antigen-induced tracheal contraction than of the initial peak phase, which may suggest selectivity for the lipoxygenase pathway of arachidonic acid metabolism. Isoprenaline inhibits the mechanisms of the primary peak phase and of the prolonged phase equally. Although there were little, if any, differences between normal and sensitized tissues in the modulation of A23187-induced contractions of parenchyma, distinct differences were observed in trachea. Low concentrations (10(-8)-10(-7) M) of isoprenaline and forskolin enhanced A23187-induced contraction of sensitized, but not normal trachea. Higher concentrations were inhibitory. The results demonstrate that sensitization affects the modulation by isoprenaline and forskolin of A23187-induced contraction of guinea pig trachea.