[The therapeutic potentials of magnesium sulfate in bronchial asthma]. / Terapevticheskie vozmozhnosti sul'fata magniia pri bronkhial'noi astme.

Twelve patients with preasthma (PA) and 27 bronchial asthma (BA) patients were examined for the effect of magnesium sulphate aerosol on bronchial sensitivity and reactivity to acetylcholine (ACC) and graded physical exercise (GPE) as well as on bronchial patency recorded by general plethysmography and pneumotachography. Inhalation of the drug was established to exert no bronchodilatory action but reduced, as compared with placebo, nonspecific hyperreactivity of the bronchial tree and blocked the ACC induced increment of histamine in the exhaled air condensate. The data obtained allow bronchial smooth muscles and mast cells to be regarded as targets for magnesium sulphate. The drug properties discovered may serve a prerequisite for its use in the combined treatment of BA patients and those with PA.

[Effects of magnesium sulfate aerosol on indices of external respiration in patients with bronchial asthma]. / Vliianie aérozolia sul'fata magniia na pokazateli funktsii vneshnego dykhaniia u bol'nykh bronkhial'noi astmoi.

Plethysmography and pneumotachography were applied to measure bronchial permeability, and reactivity of the bronchi in 10 patients with pre-asthma and 17 with asthma upon administration of magnesium sulfate aerosol (solution osmolality 260 mmol/l, pH-6.6). Though the drug inhalation did not induce bronchial dilatation, it diminished both hypersensitivity and hyperreactivity of the bronchial tree to acetylcholine. These properties of magnesium sulfate in the absence of unwanted sequelae when introduced endobronchially allow its advocating in combined treatment of asthma and pre-asthma.