title: Long-lasting effects on rheology and clearance of bronchial mucus after short-term administration of high doses of carbocysteine-lysine to patients with chronic bronchitis.
abstract: The rheological behavior and clearance of bronchial mucus samples collected by protected expectoration from 24 out-patients with simple chronic bronchitis were investigated before, at the end of a short period of treatment (4 days) with a single oral dose of 2.7 g (sachet) of carbocysteine-lysine (evening meal), and on the 4th and 8th days after the end of treatment versus placebo. In the group treated with carbocysteine-lysine, there were significant reductions in viscosity (-67, -48, -62%) and increases in mucociliary transport (+41, +31, +34%) at the three times mentioned. The most striking finding was that the improvements were still present 8 days after cessation of treatment. The elasticity parameter was not affected in any statistically significant way (-10, -24, +65%). These findings suggest the presence of some type of 'post-mucoactive' effect.
authors.affiliation: Center for Respiratory Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Braga
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Allegra
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rampoldi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ornaghi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Beghi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000378:metabolism*; D002233:Carbocysteine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009079:Mucociliary Clearance; D009093:Mucus / Q000378:metabolism*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012212:Rheology; D014783:Viscosity
chemical_list: D002233:Carbocysteine