Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Drug effects on airway inflammation and immune response in cats
By Reinero, Carol R et al.·Published in American journal of veterinary research·2005·School of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Effects of drug treatment on inflammation and hyperreactivity of airways and on immune variables in cats with experimentally induced asthma.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 6 cats with asthma caused by Bermuda grass were treated with different medications to see which helped reduce their symptoms. The cats received either an oral corticosteroid (prednisone), an inhaled corticosteroid (flunisolide), or other treatments. Both prednisone and flunisolide significantly lowered inflammation in the airways, with prednisone also reducing a specific allergy marker in the blood. This suggests that both types of corticosteroids can be effective in managing asthma in cats, with inhaled options being a good alternative for treatment.
People also search for: cat asthma treatment · prednisone for cats with asthma · inhaled corticosteroids for cats
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of an orally administered corticosteroid (prednisone), an inhaled corticosteroid (flunisolide), a leukotriene-receptor antagonist (zafirlukast), an antiserotonergic drug (cyproheptadine), and a control substance on the asthmatic phenotype in cats with experimentally induced asthma. ANIMALS: 6 cats with asthma experimentally induced by the use of Bermuda grass allergen (BGA). PROCEDURES: A randomized, crossover design was used to assess changes in the percentage of eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF); airway hyperresponsiveness; blood lymphocyte phenotype determined by use of flow cytometry; and serum and BALF content of BGA-specific IgE, IgG, and IgA determined by use of ELISAs. RESULTS: Mean +/- SE eosinophil percentages in BALF when cats were administered prednisone (5.0 +/- 2.3%) and flunisolide (2.5 +/- 1.7%) were significantly lower than for the control treatment (33.7 +/- 11.1%). We did not detect significant differences in airway hyperresponsiveness or lymphocyte surface markers among treatments. Content of BGA-specific IgE in serum was significantly lower when cats were treated with prednisone (25.5 +/- 5.4%), compared with values for the control treatment (63.6 +/- 12.9%); no other significant differences were observed in content of BGA-specific immunoglobulins among treatments. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Orally administered and inhaled corticosteroids decreased eosinophilic inflammation in airways of cats with experimentally induced asthma. Only oral administration of prednisone decreased the content of BGA-specific IgE in serum; no other significant local or systemic immunologic effects were detected among treatments. Inhaled corticosteroids can be considered as an alternate method for decreasing airway inflammation in cats with asthma.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16111148/