Effect of single inhalation of a salbutamol, ipratropium bromide and beclomethasone on mucociliary clearance in patients with chronic obstructive airway disease.
BACKGROUND
Chronic obstructive airway disease (COAD) is associated with hyperplasia and hypertrophy of the mucus producing glands. The beneficial effect of inhaled drug may be due to improved mucociliary function. The present study was done to evaluate the effect of salbutamol, ipratropium bromide and beclomethasone dipropionate inhalation on mucociliary clearance in patients with COAD.


METHODS
Ten patients of COAD were taken up, two patients however did not complete the study. Salbutamol, ipratropium bromide, beclomethasone dipropionate and placebo inhalation were given randomly to each patient on four separate days. Radioaerosol inhalation lung cine-scintigraphy after inhalation of the different drugs was followed up to two hours and than after 24 hours.


RESULTS
There was no significant visually noticeable increased mucociliary clearance on any of the days. Two patients showed definite steep slope in the time activity curves with salbutamol as compared to other drugs or placebo. All the quantitative indices analysed at the end of one hour and two hours for the three drugs were comparable to placebo.


CONCLUSIONS
A single dose of inhaled salbutamol, ipratropium bromide and beclomethasone dipropionate has no appreciable effect on mucociliary clearance in patients with COAD.
Guleria
R
R
Department of Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. randeepg@hotmail.com
Singh
Th Rajendra
TR
Sinha
Sanjeev
S
Padhy
K
K
Gupta
K
K
Pande
J N
JN
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000420:Albuterol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001507:Beclomethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D009241:Ipratropium / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009079:Mucociliary Clearance / Q000187:drug effects*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D009241:Ipratropium; D001507:Beclomethasone; D000420:Albuterol