5.2. Selective and non-selective PDE4i
Because of the involvement of cAMP signaling in the pathophysiology of
many inflammatory diseases, it has been proved that targeting PDE4 will
resemble an effective therapeutic strategy for different inflammatory
conditions, as chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, atopic dermatitis (AD), inflammatory
bowel diseases (IBD), rheumatic arthritis (RA), lupus and
neuroinflammation (Li et al., 2018).
Early, nonselective PDE inhibitors were discovered including
theophylline and doxofylline, but, because of their associated
significant adverse effects, their use had been limited.
Given that PDE4 is the only cellular pathway available for cAMP
degradation (Fertig, Bracy A., 2018), therapeutic studies have been
directed to develop the most selective PDE4 inhibitors, among which,
Apremilast and Roflumilast are
currently available (Boswell-Smith et al., 2006; Kumar et al., 2013).
6. Pharmacotherapeutic
effects of Roflumilast
Since 2011, roflumilast has been
approved by FDA as an anti-inflammatory drug specifically designed for
many respiratory disorders mainly COPD and asthma. By time, roflumilast
has been reported to exert different pharmacological activities,Figure 2 and Table 1 (Li et al., 2018).