Abstract

BACKGROUND: A study was undertaken to determine whether montelukast, a new potent cysteinyl leukotriene receptor antagonist, attenuates exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. The relationship between the urinary excretion of LTE4 and exercise-induced bronchoconstriction was also investigated. METHODS: Nineteen non-smoking asthmatic patients with a forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) of > or = 65% of the predicted value and a reproducible fall in FEV1 after exercise of at least 20% were enrolled. Subjects received placebo and montelukast 100 mg once daily in the evening or 50 mg twice daily, each for two days, in a three-period, randomised, double blind, crossover design. In the evening, approximately 20-24 hours after the once daily dose or 12 hours after the twice daily dose, a standardised exercise challenge was performed. Data from 14 patients were available for complete analysis. RESULTS: The mean (SD) maximal percentage decrease in FEV1 after exercise was 29.6 (16.0), 17.1 (8.2), and 14.0 (9.4) for placebo, once daily, and twice daily regimens, respectively. The mean (95% CI) percentage protection was 37 (15 to 59) for the group who received 50 mg twice daily and 50 (31 to 69) for those who received 100 mg once daily. Active treatments were not different from each other. The mean (SD) plasma concentrations of montelukast were higher after the twice daily regimen (1.27 (0.81) microgram/ml) than after the once daily regimen (0.12 (0.09) microgram/ml); there was no correlation between the percentage protection against exercise-induced bronchoconstriction and plasma concentrations. After exercise urinary excretion of LTE4 increased significantly during placebo treatment (from 34.3 to 73.7 pg/mg creatinine; p < 0.05) but did not correlate with the extent of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. CONCLUSIONS: Montelukast protects similarly against exercise-induced bronchoconstriction between plasma concentrations of 0.12 and 1.27 micrograms/ml. The increase in the urinary excretion of LTE4 after exercise and the protection from exercise-induced bronchoconstriction with a cysteinyl leukotriene receptor antagonist provide further evidence of the role of leukotrienes in the pathogenesis of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.