title: The antioxidative activity of the mucoregulatory agents: ambroxol, bromhexine and N-acetyl-L-cysteine. A pulse radiolysis study.
abstract: Ambroxol and bromhexine are shown to be scavengers of both superoxide and hydroxyl radicals as determined by pulse radiolysis experiments. The dismutation of superoxide was accelerated 3-fold by bromhexine and 2.5-fold by ambroxol over the rate of spontaneous dismutation. The reaction constants of hydroxyl radicals with bromhexine and ambroxol were determined by competition kinetics to be 1.58 +/- 0.15 x 10(10) M-1S-1 and 1.04 +/- 0.1 x 10(10) M-1S-1, respectively. N-acetyl-L-cysteine also reacted with hydroxyl radicals (1.28 +/- 0.14 x 10(10) M-1S-1) but not with superoxide radical. These effects may be clinically relevant in the treatment of oxidant-associated lung damage induced by inflammatory agents and/or environmental pollutants.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Klinische Molekularbiologie and Tumorgenetik, GSF-Forschungszentrum, München, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Felix
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pairet
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000551:Ambroxol / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001964:Bromhexine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005100:Expectorants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017665:Hydroxyl Radical / Q000737:chemistry; D007700:Kinetics; D011675:Pulse Radiolysis; D013481:Superoxides / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005100:Expectorants; D013481:Superoxides; D000551:Ambroxol; D017665:Hydroxyl Radical; D001964:Bromhexine; D000111:Acetylcysteine