Dopaminergic modulation of human bronchial tone.

Background: Dopamine exerts inhibitory and excitatory effects on different systems. Its effect on human bronchial tone is controversial. It has been reported that dopamine has no acute effect on human airways from normal subjects or those with asthma background.

Inhaled dopamine induces bronchodilatation in patients with bronchial asthma.

Objective: To determine the probable bronchodilating effect of dopamine administered by inhalation route in patients with crisis of bronchial asthma and the effect of dopamine on bronchial motor tone.

Design And Method: We have studied eighteen (18) patients with crisis of bronchial asthma, ten (10) subjects with bronchial hyperreactivity and ten (10) healthy subjects. Patients with other pulmonary or cardiac disease were excluded.