Dopamine ameliorates bronchoconstriction induced by histaminergic and cholinergic pathways in rabbits

•The effect of dopamine on the airway and respiratory tissue mechanics has not been clarified.•Airway responses to dopamine were studied after histaminic or cholinergic bronchoconstriction in rabbit.•Dopamine relaxed elevated airway smooth muscle tone without affecting the lung periphery.•The bronchodilator effect of dopamine was independent of the constricting agent.•Dopamine is able to reverse histaminergic or cholinergic bronchoconstriction. To clarify the potential of dopamine to alter airway tone in the presence of different bronchoconstrictor stimuli, changes in airway function following dopamine administrations were characterized when the bronchial tone was elevated by stimulating the histaminic or cholinergic pathway. Airway resistance, tissue damping and tissue elastance were measured in anesthetized mechanically ventilated rabbits under baseline conditions, during steady-state bronchoconstriction induced by methacholine or histamine, and following intravenous dopamine (5 and 15 μg/kg/min). Bronchoconstriction induced by methacholine and histamine was significantly ameliorated by dopamine (14.8 ± 2.9% and 14.9 ± 2.9%; p