The present invention provides methods for dilating the bronchi or bronchioles and relaxing a pulmonary smooth muscle in a subject by treating the subject with a pharmaceutical composition, which includes a Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor. The ability to dilate the bronchi or bronchioles and relax a pulmonary smooth muscle according to the methods of the invention allows treating, alleviating, or inhibiting bronchoconstrictive diseases or disorders and symptoms associated or derived from bronchoconstrictive diseases.