[Pharmacologic control of breathing]

Recent advances in respiratory neuropharmacology and neurophysiology have allowed the assessment of the effects of different drugs on the control of the ventilation both qualitatively (alterations of ventilatory pattern) and quantitatively (size and duration of the ventilatory and haemogasometric alterations). In the control mechanism of ventilation, the pharmacological intervention can act both on the respiratory input (basal metabolism, peripheral chemo-receptors, pulmonary receptors, bulbar neurons, cortical nervous system) and on the respiratory output (respiratory muscles). Based on personal experience in this field and the recent literature, the Authors briefly discuss the seat and the mechanism of action of the drugs with stimulating effect (respiratory analeptics, almitrines, progesterone, acetazolamide, salicylates, protriptyline, theophylline) and depressing effect (narcotics and narcotic-antagonists, anaesthetics, barbiturates and benzodiazepines) on the ventilation, as well as the role of the neurotransmitters and modulators. The clinical (positive and negative) effects of these drugs, particularly related to the patients with chronic lung disease, are also illustrated.