EFFECT OF TOPICAL BECLOMETHASONE ON HISTAMINE-INDUCED INCREASES IN NASAL AIR-FLOW RESISTANCE AND SECRETION IN PERENNIAL RHINITIS

The effects of topical beclomethasone dipropionate on changes in nasal resistance and secretion induced by topical histamine were studied in eight patients with perennial rhinitis. Patients were studied at enro lment, after 3 weeks of beclomethasone (100 mug spray to each nasal ca vity twice daily), and after 3 weeks of placebo (saline) treatment adm inistered in a double-blind cross-over trial. Nasal airflow resistance (Rnaw) and total protein, albumin, lysozyme and glycoconjugate secret ion in nasal lavage fluids were measured after topical application of histamine to the nasal mucosa. Resistance measurements and secretory p arameters were similar for the initial study and after placebo treatme nt. In those studies, histamine (1 and 10 mg) increased both nasal res istance and secretion of total protein, albumin and glycoconjugates. A fter beclomethasone treatment the rise in respiratory resistance in re sponse to histamine was significantly attenuated (DELTARnaw, +11.57 cm H2O/l/s with placebo, +5.80 with beclomethasone, P < 0.05). Beclometh asone had no effect on histamine-induced secretion. Because nasal resi stance is determined mainly by vascular processes, beclomethasone trea tment appears to have a prominent action on the vascular bed to reduce mediator-induced vasodilatation in perennial rhinitis.