Inactivation of smooth muscle tissue

Abstract

Treatment and procedures for treating bodily conduits involves deactivating, killing, or otherwise treating smooth muscle tissue of the conduit.

1 . A method of reducing the ability of a lung airway to narrow, the method comprising:
 placing an effective amount of a muscle impairing agent into a blood vessel that supplies blood to tissue of the lung airway, where the muscle impairing agent affects the ability of the lung airway to constrict in response to a stimulus.   
     
     
         2 - 47 . (canceled) 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the blood vessel comprises a bronchial artery. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the agent includes one or more of an artificial toxin, a naturally occurring toxin, a radioactive agent, a viral agent, a drug, Iodine 131, laser absorptive dyes, an agent that binds to constituents of airway smooth muscle, neutrophils, paralytic agents, and embolizing agents. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising delivering a second agent to the body, wherein the second agent protects a portion of the body against the effects of the agent. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the second agent is delivered by a mode selected from the group consisting of inhalation, injection, and oral administration. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising stimulating the lung airway. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein stimulating the lung airway increases absorption of the agent. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein placing the agent comprises injecting the agent in response to an amount of contraction of the airway caused by the stimulation. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting a second vascular site, and reducing blood flow in the second vascular site to decrease the flow rate of the agent in the blood vessel. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising monitoring the blood to determine an amount of the agent in the blood. 
     
     
         57 . A method of reducing the ability of a lung airway to narrow, the method comprising:
 placing an effective amount of an agent into a blood vessel that supplies blood to smooth muscle tissue of a lung such that the agent reaches the smooth muscle tissue, wherein the agent affects the smooth muscle tissue, reducing the ability of the lung airway to constrict in response to a stimulus.   
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein the agent impairs, deactivates, or kills the smooth muscle tissue. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein the blood vessel comprises a bronchial artery. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein the agent includes one or more of an artificial toxin, a naturally occurring toxin, a radioactive agent, a viral agent, a drug, Iodine 131, laser absorptive dyes, an agent that binds to constituents of airway smooth muscle, neutrophils, paralytic agents, and embolizing agents. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 60 , further comprising delivering a second agent to the body, wherein the second agent protects a portion of the body against the effects of the agent. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the second agent is delivered by a mode selected from the group consisting of inhalation, injection, and oral administration. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 57 , further comprising stimulating the lung airway. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein stimulating the lung airway increases absorption of the agent. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein placing the agent comprises injecting the agent in response to an amount of contraction of the airway caused by the stimulation. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 57 , further comprising selecting a second vascular site, and reducing blood flow in the second vascular site to decrease the flow rate of the agent in the blood vessel.