PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Martina Schmidt
AU  - Martin C. Michel
TI  - How Can 1 + 1 = 3? β<sub>2</sub>-Adrenergic and Glucocorticoid Receptor Agonist Synergism in Obstructive Airway Diseases
AID  - 10.1124/mol.111.075481
DP  - 2011 Dec 01
TA  - Molecular Pharmacology
PG  - 955--958
VI  - 80
IP  - 6
4099  - http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/80/6/955.short
4100  - http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/80/6/955.full
SO  - Mol Pharmacol2011 Dec 01; 80
AB  - For a long time it was believed that β2-adrenergic receptor agonists used in the treatment of obstructive airway diseases worked primarily on airway smooth muscle cells, causing relaxation, whereas glucocorticoids primarily improved airway function via their anti-inflammatory action, indicating that their clinical synergism occurred at the organism rather than the cellular level. However, it is now becoming clear that both drug classes can affect airway function at multiple levels, including an integrated effect on several cell types. This article summarizes data on the molecular interaction between the two receptor systems, particularly with relevance to phenomena of β2-adrenergic receptor desensitization and glucocorticoid insensitivity in the airways. These molecular interactions may contribute to the observed clinical synergism between both drug classes in the treatment of obstructive airway diseases.