title: Aerosolized recombinant human lysozyme ameliorates Pseudomonas aeruginosa-induced pneumonia in hamsters.
abstract: As an alternative to conventional antibiotics, aerosolized recombinant human lysozyme (rhLZ) was used to treat experimentally induced pneumonia. Syrian hamsters were inoculated intratracheally with a nonmucoid strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA), then exposed to a 1.0% solution of rhLZ in water for 2 hours per day for 3 consecutive days (controls were treated with aerosolized water alone). Compared to controls, the rhLZ-treated group showed statistically significant reductions in the following parameters: (1) lung histopathological changes, (2) bacterial colony-forming units in whole lung and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), (3) total BALF leukocytes, (4) percent BALF neutrophils, and (5) alveolar septal apoptosis. Exposure to aerosolized rhLZ also resulted in a large increase in BALF lysozyme activity. These findings indicate that aerosolized rhLZ may be potentially useful in reducing the level of bacterial colonization and inflammation in the lungs of patients with PA pneumonia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences, St John's University, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens, NY 11439, USA.
authors.forename: Tapan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bhavsar
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hardej
authors.forename: Xingjian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jerome
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cantor
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017209:Apoptosis; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D006224:Cricetinae; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008647:Mesocricetus; D009113:Muramidase / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D009113:Muramidase