Ambroxol is a scavenger of hypochlorous acid and monochloramine.
Experimental studies have suggested that ambroxol, a drug clinically used to enhance pulmonary surfactant production, may also exert some anti-inflammatory effects, though specific mechanisms are not yet fully understood. Thus, potential scavenging properties of ambroxol towards the most toxic neutrophil-arising prooxidants hypochlorous acid and monochloramine were investigated. We have found that the drug at 25, 50 and 100 mumol/l exerted a significant, concentration-related antagonizing effect on both chlorine species, with a maximal specific activity detected against hypochlorous acid. These new pharmacological properties of ambroxol may play a role in vivo in disease entities characterized by white blood cell activation and uncontrolled oxidant generation, such as inflammatory/ischemic conditions.
Cattedra di Patologia Speciale Medica, Università degli Studi G. D Annunziò, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Chieti, Italy.
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D
Lapenna
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de Gioia
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Ciofani
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F
Cuccurullo
D000551:Ambroxol / Q000737:chemistry*; D002700:Chloramines / Q000737:chemistry*; D002712:Chlorides; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000737:chemistry*; D006997:Hypochlorous Acid / Q000737:chemistry*
D002700:Chloramines; D002712:Chlorides; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D000551:Ambroxol; D006997:Hypochlorous Acid; C030816:chloramine