A Mechanistic Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of Montelukast on Airway Function in Asthma

The trial is an investigator-driven research study in subjects with intermittent asthma, the aim of which is to explore the likelihood of a functionally important separate leukotriene E4 (LTE4) receptor in airways and/or inflammatory cells in human subjects with asthma. Mostly on the basis of experiments in mice models, the prevailing view suggests that the present class of anti-leukotriene drugs are insufficient because they do not block the pro-inflammatory and bronchoconstrictive effects of LTE4. It is established by us and other groups that LTE4 is the most stable and long-lived leukotriene. The study will establish the effect of oral treatment with the highly selective CysLT1-receptor antagonist, montelukast, on bronchial responsiveness to inhaled LTE4 in subjects with intermittent asthma