Psychosomatic Medicine 33:481-490 (1971)
© 1971 American Psychosomatic Society

Alpha-Adrenergic Receptors in the Human Lung

¹ Division of Psychiatry, Boston University Medical School Boston, Mass.

Louis Vachon, MD, 720 Harrison Ave, Suite 605, Boston, Mass 02118

The whole-body plethysmograph was used to study airway conductance (G_aw/V_gt) in humans after adrenergic agents, nebulized in a propylene glycol and water vehicle, were inhaled. Ten young males free of pulmonary or other disease were given the vehicle alone as well as the stimulant, methoxamine. G_aw/V_gt increased slightly after the vehicle was administered. However, in all 10 subjects, a decrease was noted after they had received methoxamine alone. The blocker, phentolamine, was given to 7 additional subjects; it produced a slight increase in G_aw/V_gt. When blocker and stimulant were given together, the previous decrease seen with methoxamine alone was abolished. Finally, in 3 subjects, a dose-response curve was obtained, showing a steady but mild decrease in G_aw/V_gt (to a maximum of 10% loss) as doses of methoxamine were increased. These findings--(a) highly significant decrease in G_aw/V_gt after an inhaled stimulant, (b) prevention of this by the concomitant inhalation of an blocker, and (c) demonstration of a dose-related drug effect--suggest the presence of -adrenergic receptors in the human tracheobronchial tree.