Methoxyphenamine inhibits basal and histamine-induced nasal congestion in anaesthetized rats

1. Nasal resistance in anaesthetized rats was assessed by measuring air overflow during ventilation of the nasal passages at constant pressure. Nasal basal resistance was reduced in a dose-dependent manner by methoxyphenamine hydrochloride (0.01-30 mg kg-1, i.v.), pseudoephedrine hydrochloride (0.03-3 mg kg-1, i.v.) and adrenaline bitartrate (0.01-3 micrograms kg-1, i.v.). Both methoxyphenamine and pseudoephedrine were less potent and less efficacious than adrenaline but caused longer-lasting responses. 2. Nasal congestion induced by histamine (0.2% nebulised solution passed into the nasal passages for 15 s) was inhibited by i.v. administration of methoxyphenamine, pseudoephedrine, adrenaline, methoxamine or tyramine: the ID50s against 0.2% histamine-induced nasal congestion were 1.16 (95% confidence limits; 0.5, 1.8) mg kg-1, 0.25 (0.19, 0.33) mg kg-1, 0.037 (0.018, 0.06) micrograms kg-1, 8.12 (6.74, 9.65) micrograms kg-1 and 30.6 (26.1, 35.8) micrograms kg-1 respectively. 3. The inhibitory effects of both methoxyphenamine and tyramine on histamine-induced nasal congestion were reduced after administration of desmethylimipramine (0.1 and 1 mg kg-1, i.v.) or prazosin (0.1 and 0.3 mg kg-1, i.v.). Similarly, the inhibitory effects of methoxamine were reduced after prazosin (0.1 and 0.3 mg kg-1). 4. These results indicate that methoxyphenamine (1 mg kg-1, i.v.) inhibits histamine-induced nasal congestion in the rat. This action, at least in part, is probably indirect being mediated by release of neuronal noradrenaline which then acts on alpha 1-adrenoceptors.