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[The role of dexamethasone on airway wall remodeling]
1Department of Respiratory Disease, Xijing hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
Objective:
To investigate the role of inhaled dexamethasone on airway wall remodeling.
Methods:
Asthmatic guinea pig models were established, after guinea pigs inhaled ovalbumin and dexamethasone, the thickness of airway wall was determined by contour tracing, using a digitizing pad and microcomputer. To culture airway smooth muscle cells, observe the effect of histamine, thromboxane A(2) and dexamethasone on cultured cells.
Results:
The mean thickness of airway smooth muscle in asthma group was (90 +/- 14) micrometer, greater than that of control (54 +/- 7) micrometer (P < 0.01); the airway smooth muscle layer in dexamethasone group (61 +/- 11) micrometer was thinner than that of asthma group (P < 0.01). [(3)H]-TdR incorporation in histamine group (2 950 +/- 205) counts/min was higher, comparing to that of the control (613 +/- 52) counts/min (P < 0.01); [(3)H]-TdR incorporation in dexamethasone group was (1 067 +/- 96) counts/min, lower than those of histamine group (P < 0.01).
Conclusions:
Dexamethasone could prevent airway remodeling, and had no harmful effect on airway wall.