Time course of the bronchoconstriction induced by inhaled histamine and methacholine.

Eleven asthmatic subjects inhaled doubling concentrations of histamine until a near sixfold increase in total pulmonary flow resistance had been reached. This last concentration (C6) of histamine and methacholine was administered on two subsequent separate visits. Specific lung conductance (sGL) dropped to 18.6 +/- 7.9 (SD) and 19.1 +/- 10.3% of initial value after histamine and methacholine, respectively (NS). Whereas the peak action occurred in a similar interval (1-4 min), the mean duration of the subsequent plateau, defined as values of sGL within 20% of the maximum fall was 16.8 +/- 9.8 min for histamine and 74.6 +/- 53.7 min for methacholine (P less than 0.01). The recovery phase from the end of the plateau to base line lasted 25.5 +/- 14.4 min for histamine and 56.7 +/- 38.3 min for methacholine (P less than 0.01). The duration of plateau and recovery phases were not linked with base-line sGL, maximum fall in sGL, or C6. We conclude that for the same induced bronchoconstriction methacholine has a more prolonged action than histamine.