Beta 2-agonists as anti-inflammatory therapies in the lung.

The new generation of long-acting beta 2-agonists, represented by salmeterol and formoterol, inhibit a number of the processes involved in acute inflammation in the lung: inflammatory mediator release, vascular permeability and inflammatory cell accumulation. These effects arise from prolonged activation of beta 2-adrenoceptors in a range of target cells. Salmeterol and formoterol therefore have the potential to be used as additional anti-inflammatory therapy in the treatment of respiratory disease.