Pharmacological research : the official journal of the Italian Pharmacological Society
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These studies were designed to assess the pharmacodynamic interaction between formoterol and beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) in controlling the bronchoconstriction and inflammatory response induced by various challenges in guinea-pigs and rats. In anaesthetised guinea-pigs, superfusion of the formoterol/BDP combination into the tracheal lumen had significantly more effect than the single components in antagonising the bronchoconstricting and inflammatory responses to acetylcholine or ovalbumin in a standard model of airway hyper-responsiveness. ⋯ Finally, in tracheal strips from ovalbumin-sensitised guinea-pigs pre-treatment with BDP (30 mg kg(-1) i.m.) completely reversed the rightward shift of the formoterol dose-response curve due to beta(2)-receptor desensitisation. In conclusion, these results indicate that formoterol and BDP together induce a favourable pharmacodynamic interaction which can be considered more than additive, at least in these experimental settings.