The Effects of Aminophylline on Sleep and Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome
Abstract
The methylxanthine derivatives are known to have respiratory stimulant properties. To determine whether these drugs would improve obstructive sleep apnea, 10 male patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) (Apnea Index greater than 15/h) were given infusions of aminophylline and a saline placebo on 2 separate nights a week apart, using a randomized crossover design. There was a significant decrease during aminophylline infusion in the frequency of those apneas, which contained periods of complete respiratory inactivity (central and mixed apneas; placebo, 4.3 +/- 1.8/h; aminophylline, 0.7 +/- 0.5/h; p less than 0.05). There was no change in either the frequency (placebo, 31.8 +/- 5.9/h; aminophylline, 28.7 +/- 8.7/h; NS) or duration of obstructive apneas. Mean and minimal arterial oxygen saturation values were also unchanged. Sleep architecture was markedly disturbed by aminophylline. There was a reduction in sleep efficiency (placebo, 84.8 +/- 2.0%; aminophylline, 60.2 +/- 5.0%; p less than 0.005), an increase in sleep fragmentation (sleep stage shifts/h: placebo, 11.6 +/- 1.3: aminophylline, 21.0 +/- 2.9; p less than 0.05) and less Stage 2 and more Stage 1 non-REM sleep. We conclude that aminophylline reduces central apnea and the central component of mixed apneas but has no effect on obstructive apnea. Theophylline is therefore unlikely to be therapeutically useful in patients with OSA, and because it leads to marked sleep disruption, its long-term use could conceivably in…
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- Authors
- Espinoza, H., Antic, R., Thornton, A. T., & McEvoy, R. D.
- Affiliations
- Royal Adelaide Hospital (AU)
- Venue
- American Review of Respiratory Disease
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 1987-07-01
- Volume
- 136
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 80-84
- ISSN
- 0003-0805 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2063601988
- Cited by
- 73
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 3 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 2.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Review of Respiratory Disease (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Obstructive Sleep Apnea Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Neuroscience of respiration and sleep
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Keywords
- aminophylline, obstructive sleep apnea, sleep-disordered breathing, central sleep apnea, mixed apnea, obstructive apnea, sleep architecture, sleep fragmentation, sleep efficiency, arterial oxygen saturation, theophylline, methylxanthines
- MeSH terms
- Aminophylline, Clinical Trials as Topic, Humans, Inspiratory Reserve Volume, Male, Placebos, Random Allocation, Respiration, Sleep, Sleep Apnea Syndromes, Total Lung Capacity
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