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Comparison of oral enprofylline and theophylline in asthmatic patients

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Summary

The bronchodilator effect and side-effects of a single oral dose of enprofylline were compared with the corresponding actions of a therapeutic dose of theophylline in 20 asthmatic patients, in a randomized cross-over clinical trial. Enprofylline 4 mg/kg and theophylline 8 mg/kg produced mean maximum plasma levels of 4.40±0.91 µg/ml and 16.5± 2.58 µg/ml and mean maximum increases in FEV1.0 of 38.5% and 34.8%, respectively. The degree of headache and nausea was estimated by a scoring system. Enprofylline produced significantly higher scores for headache than theophylline, and both drugs produced s light nausea. No other side-effects were seen. Enprofylline seems to have bronchodilating properties comparable to those of theophylline without producing severe sideeffects.

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Laursen, L.C., Johannesson, N., Søndergaard, I. et al. Comparison of oral enprofylline and theophylline in asthmatic patients. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 26, 707–709 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00541929

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00541929

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