Theophylline is a drug, a phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor, that is widely used in therapy for respiratory diseases. It bears structural and pharmacological similarity to caffeine. It is naturally found in black tea and green tea.
The main actions of theophylline are:
The use of theophylline is complicated by the fact that it interacts with various drugs, chiefly cimetidine and phenytoin
The main therapeutic uses of theophylline are:
- chronic obstructive diseases of the airways