Asthma (Chapter 9) Flashcards
what is asthma ?
a chronic respiratory disease, characterized by reversible and intermittent airway hyper-reactivity of bronchial tube dilation and contration
what are symptoms of asthma ?
shortness of breath
coughing
wheezing
tightness in chest
what are triggers of asthma ?
smoking, humidity, heat, viral infections, NSAIDs, sulfites, psychosomatic
which medications can trigger asthma ?
NSAIDs
what is the cause of asthma ?
combination of genetic and environmental factors
can asthma be cured?
sometimes spontaneously
what is the asthmatic lung characterized by ?
inflamed tissue, red, swollen, edema, excessive mucus production
how do mast cells work ?
full of granules that contain toxic chemicals (leukotrienes, prostaglandins)
what are the two types of asthma ?
eosinophilic and neutrophilic
what is eosinophilic asthma ?
characterized by increased levels of eosinophils in the airway.
associated with more severity of the disease
eosinophils, mast cells, basophils bind to IgE which releases histamine
what is neutrophilic asthma ?
characterized by increased levels of neutrophils and T-Cells in airway
how is asthma triggered ?
IgE triggers release of chemicals from mast cells.
arachidonic acid pathway is stimulated by the increase of phospholipase A2. arachidonic acid is substrate for 5-lipoxygenase to produce leukotrienes.
Leukotrienes activate receptors on smooth muscle, causing bronchoconsriction, mucus secretion, edema.
what is the arachidonic pathway stimulated by ? inhibited by ?
catalyzed by phospholipase A2
inhibited by corticosteroids
what are the two therapeutic goals in treating asthma ?
1) cause bronchodilation
2) reduce inflammation underlying disease
how many different drugs can help treat asthma ?
20