Case: agents used to treat asthma. Class

Asthma is characterized by acute episodes of bronchoconstriction caused by underlying airway inflammation. A common finding in asthmatics is an increased responsiveness of the bronchi and trachea to exogenous or endogenous stimuli that results in inappropriate contraction of smooth muscle in the airway, and production of thick viscid mucus and mucosal thickening from edema and cellular infiltration. Asthma typically occurs with both an early-phase response lasting approximately 1-2 hours that is triggered by autocoids and inflammatory mediators such as histamine, leukotrienes, and prostaglandins.