Effects of (R,R)- and (R,R/S,S)-formoterol on airway relaxation and contraction in an experimental rat model

Background: Racemic (R,R/S,S)-formoterol is a long-acting P-agonist composed of a 50:50 mixture of (R,R)- and (S,S)-enantiomers. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether (R,R)-formoterol and (R,R/S,S)-formoterol have differing effects on airway contraction and relaxation in vitro. Methods: Cylindrical airway segments 3-mm long were isolated from the mid-trachea of healthy Sprague-Dawley rats and placed in a modified Krebs-Henseleit solution. Dose-response curves of bethanechol-induced contraction (measured as milligrams of tension) and the concentration of bethanechol that elicited 50% to 75% of maximal contraction (EC50-75) were determined. The airway cylinders were then precontracted with bethanechol at the EC50-75 and exposed to different concentrations of (R,R)-formoterol (0.0001-1.0 mu M) or (R,R/S,S)-formoterol (0.0002-2.0 mu M). Each concentration of the 2 formoterol formulations contained the same amount of (R,R)-enantiomer (eg, [R,R]-formoterol 0.0001 mu M and [R,R/S,S]-formoterol 0.0002 mu M contained the same amount of [R,R]-enantiomer). The relaxation percentage in response to formoterol was calculated as a reduction in tension (in milligrams) in relation to baseline tension in the precontracted state, with each tracheal cylinder serving as its own control. To determine the effect of (R,R)-formoterol on airway contraction, tracheal cylinders were incubated with (R,R)- or (R,R/S,S)-formoterol before electrical field stimulation (EFS). Results: Tracheae from 56 three-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were used in the study. The relaxation percentage of precontracted trachea was significantly greater after exposure to (R,R)-formoterol than to (R,R/S,S)-formoterol at a 2-fold higher concentration (P = 0.03; general linear model with repeated measures analysis comparing the 2 groups of animals). However, in a post hoc analysis, the mean (SE) relaxation percentage of precontracted trachea was significantly greater only after exposure to (R,R)-formoterol 0.01 mu M than to (R,R/S,S)-formoterol 0.02 mu M (15.6% [5.8%] vs 39.0% [5.6%]; P < 0.05, unpaired t test). EFS-induced airway contraction was significantly less in tracheal cylinders incubated in (R,R)-formoterol compared with those incubated in (R,R/S,S)-formoterol at a 2-fold higher concentration (P = 0.05; general linear model with repeated measures analysis comparing the 2 groups of animals). However, in the post hoc analysis, mean (SE) EFS-induced tracheal contraction was significantly less only in (R,R)-formoterol 0.01 mu M compared with (R,R/S,S)-formoterol 0.02 mu M at 10 V (1070 [55] mg vs 1225 [28] mg; P < 0.05, unpaired t test). Conclusion: We found that (R,R)-formoterol may induce greater relaxation of precontracted airway smooth muscle cells than (R,R/S,S)-formoterol and that (R,R)-formoterol may have a greater inhibitory effect on the endogenous cholinergic and excitatory nonadrenergic, noncholinergic contractile airway responses than (R,R/S,S)-formoterol. We speculate that the presence of the (S,S)-enantiomer in (R,R/S,S)-formoterol may impair airway relaxation of precontracted trachea in rats.