[A comparative morphological and chemical study of the ambroxol and chlorphentermine action on the lung phospholipid content (author's transl)].
The influence of chronic administration of ambroxol on the phospholipid-(PL-) content and ultrastructure of lungs has been studied and compared with the effect of chlorphentermine (chlph.). Both drugs are amphiphilic substances. The causative factor of the well-known chlph. induced phospholipidosis-like alterations was suggested to be an inhibition of enzymatic degradation of PL. Rats were intraperitoneally treated five times per week for two weeks with chlph. (0,2 mMol per kg b.w.) and ambroxol (0.2 mMol per kg b.w.), respectively. Lung, heart, liver, kidney and spleen were light microscopically examined, and the lung was studied by electron microscopy. Furthermore, the PL-content of the whole lung tissue, the proportion of phosphatidylcholine (PC), the lung weight/body weight ratio (LM/KM) as well as the dry weight/wet weight ratio (TM/FM) of the lung was calculated. The application of chlph, induced an excessive PL-storage in the lung as indicated by an increase of the PL-content, of the PC-proportion as well as of the LM/KM and TM/FM ratio. The accumulated PL are detectable by electron microscopy, mainly in the lysosomes of macrophages appearing as lamellar or crystalloid inclusions. On the contrary, chronic application of ambroxol does not cause any substantial changes especially no abnormal lysosomal PL-inclusions. Therefore, it is suggested that ambroxol does not interfere with the PL-metabolism in a way comparable to that of the chlph. action.
D000551:Ambroxol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001964:Bromhexine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D002745:Chlorphentermine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005260:Female; D008168:Lung / Q000032:analysis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010645:Phentermine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats
D010743:Phospholipids; D000551:Ambroxol; D010645:Phentermine; D002745:Chlorphentermine; D001964:Bromhexine
Vergleichende morphologische und chemische Untersuchungen zur Wirkung von Ambroxol und Chlorphentermin auf den Phospholipidgehalt der Lunge.