Effect of prostaglandins F2 alpha and E2 on airway conductance in healthy subjects and asthmatic patients.

Effects of aerosol inhalation of prostaglandins F2alpha and E2 on specific airway conductance were studied in 12 healthy subjects and 17 patients with bronchial asthma. Approximately 50 per cent reduction of specific airway conductance was obtained with 250 to 1000 mug of prostaglandin F2alpha in healthy subjects and 4 to 512 ng of prostaglandin F2alpha in asthmatics. In healthy subjects, repeated administration of prostaglandin F2alpha within 1 session elicited nearly identical changes specific airway conductance, whereas a degree of tachyphylaxis possible existed in asthmatics. The sensitivity to prostaglandin F2alpha during a 17 month period remained quite constand; test-retest responses did not differ significantly. Pretreatment with 1 mg of atropine did not modify the effect of prostaglandin F2alpha in health subjects. In contrast. bronchoconstriction in asthmatics was diminished 1 and 5 but not 10 minutes after inhalation prostaglandin F2alpha. Prostaglandin E2 was a bronchodilator in healthy subjects but caused either dilation or constriction (the direction of the change in specific airway conductance being consistent for each subject) in asthamatics.