title: Effects of a beta adrenergic drug and a secretolytic agent on regional mucociliary clearance in patients with COLD.
abstract: The effect of clenbuterol, a beta adrenergic drug, and ambroxol, a secretolytic agent, on regional mucociliary clearance and pulmonary radioaerosol distribution was investigated in two groups of 15 patients with COLD in a double-blind cross-over trial with placebo. Clearance rates of inhaled 99mTc-labelled human serum albumin minimicrospheres (HAMM) were determined over upper, middle, lower, central, and peripheral anterior lung regions. Additionally, an index was employed for quantitative analysis of initial pulmonary aerosol distribution in order to detect changes in the site of particle deposition caused by the drugs. Regional measurement of tracheobronchial particle clearance showed clenbuterol to have a significant (P less than 0.05) stimulating effect in 4 of 5 tested pulmonary zones resulting in significantly accelerated whole lung clearance. Ambroxol was effective in only 1 of 5 tested lung areas and did not prove to enhance whole lung clearance significantly. The secretolytic agent was associated with significant (P less than 0.05) improvement of lung aerosol distribution in obstructive emphysematous patients, whereas no significant change in lung deposition of the inhaled particles was encountered in the patients with chronic obstructive bronchitis after either drug regimen.
mesh_terms: D000418:Albumins; D000551:Ambroxol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001964:Bromhexine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D002923:Cilia / Q000502:physiology*; D002976:Clenbuterol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004983:Ethanolamines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008863:Microspheres; D008875:Middle Aged; D009093:Mucus / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D004983:Ethanolamines; D000551:Ambroxol; D001964:Bromhexine; D002976:Clenbuterol