An update on the use of indacaterol in patients with COPD.

Current guidelines for the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) establish that bronchodilator medications are central to the symptomatic treatment of the disease. Regular treatment with long-acting bronchodilators is recommended as more effective and convenient than short-acting bronchodilators, because the long-acting agents provide greater bronchodilator efficacy and symptomatic relief, increased tolerance to exercise, and improved rate of exacerbations and quality of life test scores. Dosing regimens requiring less frequent dosing also provide improved treatment compliance.

T Cells localize with proliferating smooth muscle alpha-actin+ cell compartments in asthma.

Rationale: Airway remodeling in asthma comprises increased airway smooth muscle (ASM), an alteration linked to airway hyperresponsiveness and disease severity. Experimental studies showed that T cells adhere to ASM through vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and drive ASM growth through direct contact between the T cells and smooth muscle alpha-actin (alpha-SMA)(+) cells.

Objectives: To support the hypothesis of a T-cell/alpha-SMA(+) cell contact mechanism of ASM remodeling in asthma, using bronchial biopsies.

[Development of a murine model of airway inflammation and remodeling in experimental asthma].

Background And Objective: Experimental animal models are necessary for studying asthma disease mechanisms and for identifying new therapeutic targets. We present a murine model of experimental asthma that allows integrated, quantitative assessment of airway inflammation and remodeling.

Material And Methods: BALB/c mice were sensitized to ovalbumin (OVA) and challenged with OVA or vehicle 3 times per week for 12 weeks.