Protective Effect of Choline Theophyllinate on Histamine, Acetylcholine, and Propranolol-Induced Airflow Obstruction

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Abstract
Protective effect of choline theophyllinate, 600 mg orally, was studied by examining the effects on inhaled histamine, acetylcholine and propranolol in 19 asthmatic patients. Only 9 of them showed a propranolol threshold. This bronchodilator significantly increased the threshold values of histamine and acetylcholine, but showed no protective effect on propranolol thresholds. The histamine threshold changed from 22.5 .+-. (SD)1.2-23.8 .+-. 1.0 mg/ml (P < 0.001). With acetylcholine an initial value of 24.2 .+-. 1.4 mg/ml was determined, which changed to 25.5 .+-. 1.1 mg/ml (P < 0.01). The propranolol threshold changed from 1.17% .+-. 0.40-1.36% .+-. 0.40, indicating that theophylline has no statistically significant protective effect on propranolol inhalation. Reproducibility of the challenges was assessed in 8 control patients. A placebo did not significantly change the initial airway reactivity to the 3 agents. Protective effect of choline theophyllinate on histamine and acetylcholine correlated with the initial degree of reactivity on both agents (r = -0.60; P < 0.01 and r = -0.84; P < 0.001, respectively; no significant correlation with the degree of bronchodilation was observed. The protective effect of theophylline does not depend on its bronchodilating activity.