Comparative oral and topical decongestant effects of phenylpropanolamine and d-pseudoephedrine.

Nonselective adrenergic alpha-agonists such as phenylpropanolamine and d-pseudoephedrine are widely used as decongestants to treat nasal congestion associated with a variety of nasal diseases. Although the activity of these drugs is well established in clinical studies, a direct comparison of their nasal decongestant effect as determined by changes in nasal cavity dimensions and nasal architecture has not been studied. Using acoustic rhinometry, we evaluated the effects of these drugs on nasal cavity volume, minimum cross-sectional area (Amin), and the distance from the nosepiece to the Amin (Dmin) in a feline, pharmacological model of nasal congestion. Administration of topical compound 48/80 (1%), a mast cell histamine liberator, into the left nasal passageway decreased nasal volume by 66%, reduced Amin by 51%, and increased Dmin by 116%. The congestive responses to compound 48/80 (1%) were reproducible through six weeks. In a subset of cats, the nasal cavity volume effect of repetitive exposure to compound 48/80, given once every two weeks for six weeks, was not different from the nasal responses after the initial exposure to compound 48/80. Pretreatment with oral phenylpropanolamine (10 mg/kg) or oral d-pseudoephedrine (10 mg/kg) attenuated the nasal effects of compound 48/80, but were associated with a pronounced increase in systolic blood pressure of +51 and +82 mmHg, respectively. A similar decongestant profile was observed with phenylpropanolamine (1%) and d-pseudoephedrine (1%) when given topically. Topical phenylpropanolamine (1%) and d-pseudoephedrine (1%) 45 minutes after dosing increased blood pressure +44 and +17 mmHg, respectively, over control animals. We conclude that oral and topical phenylpropanolamine and d-pseudoephedrine display equieffective nasal decongestant activity and produce similar cardiovascular profiles characterized by significant increases in blood pressure.

Nociceptin inhibits cough in the guinea-pig by activation of ORL(1) receptors.

We studied the central and peripheral antitussive effect of ORL(1) receptor activation with nociceptin/orphanin FQ in conscious guinea-pigs. In guinea-pig cough studies, nociceptin/orphanin FQ (10, 30, and 90 microg) given directly into the CNS by an intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) route inhibited cough elicited by capsaicin exposure by approximately 23, 29 and 52%, respectively. The antitussive activity of nociceptin/orphanin FQ (90 microg, i.c.v.) was blocked by the selective ORL(1) antagonist [Phe(1)gamma(CH(2)-NH)Gly(2)]nociceptin-(1-13)-NH(2) (180 microg, i.c.v.) and J113397 (10 mg kg(-1), i.p.) but not by the opioid antagonist, naltrexone (3 mg kg(-1), i.p.). Furthermore, intravenous (i.v.) nociceptin/orphanin FQ (1.0 and 3.0 mg kg(-1)) also inhibited cough approximately by 25 and 42%, respectively. These findings indicate that selective ORL(1) agonists display the potential to inhibit cough by both a central and peripheral mechanism, and potentially represent a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of cough.

Intranasal application of the alpha2-adrenoceptor agonist BHT-920 produces decongestion in the cat.

The effect of alpha2-selective adrenoreceptor activation on nasal cavity dimension in an experimental model of congestion has not been defined. Presently, we used acoustic rhinometry to evaluate the decongestant activity of BHT-920, a selective alpha2-adrenergic agonist against nasal congestion produced by intranasal compound 48/80. Administration of the mast cell liberator compound 48/80 (1%) into a nasal passageway decreased ipsilateral volume and minimum cross-sectional area by 73 +/- 4% and 42 +/- 6%, respectively. The congestant effect of compound 48/80 was blocked by topical BHT-920 (0.3 and 1%) in a dose related manner. In addition, the decrease in minimum cross-sectional area produced by compound 48/80 was attenuated after topical BHT-920 treatment. As a comparison we also evaluated the topical decongestant activity effects of the alpha1-adrenergic agonist phenylephrine, and the nonselective alpha-agonist oxymetazoline. Both phenylephrine (0.1-1.0%) and oxymetazoline (0.01-0.3%) produced decongestion. The blood pressure effects of these three drugs also were evaluated. At doses of 0.3 and 1.0%, BHT-920 did not produce hypertension. In contrast, oxymetaZoline (0.01-0.1%) produced a transient hypertension that peaked at 15 minutes and fully recovered 45 minutes after administration. The hypertensive effect of phenylephrine at 0.3 and 1.0% lasted over 60 minutes. The present findings indicate that selective alpha2-agonists may produce decongestant activity with an improved cardiovascular profile compared with current sympathomimetic drugs such as phenylephrine.