title: [Action mechanisms of cough suppressants and their clinical application].
abstract: Inhaled particles or compacted secretions in the respiratory tract cause irritation of mechanoreceptors, subsequent stimulation of afferent fibers of the vagus nerve, triggering the cough reflex. Distribution of drugs used in the treatment of cough takes into account the pharmacokinetic activity, and this mainly affect on bronchial secretions--drugs that act directly, which destroy disulfide bonds mucous glucoproteins using free sulfhydryl groups and digesting enzymes, extracellular DNA, acting indirectly, that modify the secretion of mucus in the way of other mechanisms, as well as acting on the cough reflex (effects on receptors in the bronchial tree). Mucolytics reduce the viscosity of bronchial secretions by interrupting the sulfide bonds in the mucoprotein chain. Mucokinetic drugs are designed to reduce the adhesion of secretions and facilitate the process of mucociliary clearance by enhancing the potency of cilia. One of the ways of the increasing process is the stimulation of secretion by human neutrophil elastase gene and protein expression regulating this process. The pharmacokinetic properties of these drugs show their high clinical utility and effectiveness in the treatment of respiratory secretions dense clutter. This is possible to reduce the viscosity of mucus by bromhexine. This is obtained by acid depolymerization of the polysaccharide fibers in the bronchial secretions. Synergistic effect with antibiotics of these preparations indicates their permanent place in the treatment of patients with respiratory pathology.
authors.forename: Tadeusz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Płusa
mesh_terms: D000996:Antitussive Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003371:Cough / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005100:Expectorants / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000996:Antitussive Agents; D005100:Expectorants