Different effects of inhaled aspirinlike drugs on allergen-induced early and late asthmatic responses

Little Is known about the anti-asthmatic effects of powerful anti-inflammat ory agents such as aspirin-like drugs. We compared the effects of two aspir in-like drugs with different pharmacologic activities, sodium salicylate (S SA) and indomethacin, with the effect of lysine acetylsalicylate (LASA), in haled 30 min before challenge, on the early and the late asthmatic response induced by a single dose of allergen causing a 25% decrease in FEV1 In a p reliminary challenge. Inhaled SSA partially prevented both the early and la te response, providing a protection with respect to placebo of 22 +/- 6% in the early phase and 23 +/- 9% in the late phase of the response. These val ues were lower (but not significantly) than those of LASA (41 +/- 9% and 39 +/- 11%, respectively). In a second group of patients, indomethacin failed to affect the early response, while LASA provided a protection of 31 +/- 7 %. However, these two drugs were equally effective in reducing the late res ponse (44 +/- 18% and 39 +/- 17% protection for LASA and indomethacin, resp ectively), In subjects with an early response, despite being ineffective in preventing allergen-induced bronchoconstriction, indomethacin blocked the allergen-induced increase in bronchial hyperresponsiveness measured 2 h aft er challenge. We conclude that inhaled salicylates, but not indomethacin, e xert a protective activity against the early allergic response. This differ ence is nor. explained by the different pattern of cyclooxygenase inhibitor y activity of these drugs.