Hypotonic and isotonic aerosols increase bronchial reactivity in basenji-greyhound dogs

Because basenji-greyhound dogs have greater bronchial reactivity to a range of inhaled stimuli than mongrel dogs do, and because bronchial hyperreactivity to nonspecific stimuli is characteristic of asthma, we asked whether basenji-greyhound dogs have greater bronchial reactivity to hypotonic and isotonic aerosols than mongrel dogs do. We assessed bronchial reactivity by measuring both the total pulmonary resistance and the bronchial response to an acetylcholine aerosol, before and after delivery of hypotonic and isotonic aerosols. Bronchial reactivity as measured by a change in total pulmonary resistance increased 9-fold after delivery of hypotonic and 5-fold after delivery of isotonic aerosols in 5 anesthetized basenji-greyhound dogs, but not in 3 similarly challenged mongrel dogs (p less than 0.01). Bronchial reactivity as measured by an increased bronchial response to acetylcholine aerosol increased 3-fold in basenji-greyhound dogs but not in mongrel dogs. Thus, hypotonic and isotonic aerosols increase bronchial reactivity in basenji-greyhound dogs. We also asked whether vagal or nonvagal pathways are involved in the increase in total pulmonary resistance induced by a hypotonic aerosol. Both vagal and nonvagal pathways appear to be involved, since blockade of the vagal pathway by intravenously administered atropine only partially inhibited the bronchoconstriction induced by a hypotonic aerosol (54%). Disodium cromoglycate, which inhibits vagal and nonvagal pathways, partially inhibited the bronchoconstriction (57%), but even in combination with atropine, did not completely inhibit it (68%). Our observations in basenji-greyhound dogs are similar to results in asthmatic subjects, suggesting that basenji-greyhound dogs are useful experimental animals in which to study the mechanisms by which hypotonic and isotonic aerosols increase bronchial reactivity.