[Prostaglandins and bronchial asthma (author's transl)]

Prostaglandins (PG) show different effects on the bronchomotoric excitability depending on the fact to which group they certain. The best investigated PG are PGE1, PGE2 (bronchodilators) and PGF2a (bronchoconstrictor). It is possible that PG play a certain role in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma. Among other hypotheses, the influence upon adenylate cyclase - cAMP systems (without affecting the adrenoreceptors) is evident. Probably, PG exert a regulatory function on bronchial tone. The pathogenetic imporatnce of PG metabolites for bronchial asthma is discussed. A therapeutical influence upon bronchial asthma is theoretically possible on four ways: by 1) stimulation of partial endogenous synthesis of PGE, 2) inhibition of the biotransformation of PGE, 3) exogenous application of PGE, i.e. development of PGE derivatives indifferent to bronchial mucosa, stable in solution and relatively resistant to biotransformation and 4) inhibition of biosynthesis of PGF2a. The development of synthetic PGE1 derivatives (15-methyl-11-desoxy-PGE1) appears to be of future importance. Summarizing we can say that, at the present stage of development, a directed therapeutic utilization of PG for bronchial asthma seems to be of low probability yet. The problem of aspirin-induced asthma including all its practical consequences is discussed.