摘要:

The reactivity of cat lung parenchymal strips to histamine and acetylcholine in vitro was studied at various stages of inflammation of the airways induced experimentally by the intratracheal administration of turpentine oil or Staphylococcus aureus, both in aerosol form. With histamine, the contractile responses of the lung strips were enhanced depending on the stage of turpentine oil inflammation. Similarly, the lung strips responded more to histamine in the staphylococcal inflammation. The reactivity of the lung strips to acetylcholine remained mainly unaffected by either type of inflammation.

ISSN:0025-7931    

DOI:10.1159/000195159

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1987

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Surface-active material is known to lower surface tension at the air/liquid interface and provide alveolar stability. Less well appreciated is the potential role of surface-active material in maintaining the patency of small airways and in transporting particles from the alveolar surface to the small airways. The interactions between the two dominant secretory cells in the terminal lung units, i.e., the alveolar type II cell and the Clara cell, are just starting to be discovered. The biochemical signals for secretion of surface-active material in vivo are still not known. The dominant physiologic stimulus is hyperventilation. Secretion in vitro is stimulated by activation of protein-kinase C (tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate), protein-kinase A (cyclic AMP, beta-adrenergic agonists, cholera toxin), and calcium ionophores (A23187 or ionomycin). The biochemical basis for secretion will be discussed.

ISSN:0025-7931    

DOI:10.1159/000195267

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1987

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

High histamine concentrations were measured in the sputum of patients with chronic obstructive bronchitis. The histamine concentration doubles or triples when the sputum is incubated for 24 and 72 h, respectively at 37 °C. The antibiotics therapy with doxycyclin significantly inhibited the histamine formation in 8 patients, which was mainly caused by bacteria. In the sputum of one patient the histamine formation was reinforced in spite of the doxycyclin therapy. The clinical importance of these findings is discussed

ISSN:0025-7931    

DOI:10.1159/000195160

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1987

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

The mucokinetic activity of ambroxol was demonstrated as an increase in mucus or particle transport rate on the frog palate and in guinea pig tracheas. To clarify the mechanism we examined the influence of the drug on the ciliary beat frequency (CBF) of isolated cells from guinea pig tracheas. Ambroxol significantly stimulated the CBF up to 10.8%, salbutamol up to 19.5%. The effect of ambroxol on CBF certainly contributes to, but does not explain the more pronounced increase in transport rate. Thus a stimulation of the mucociliary transport rate by the other major pharmacodynamic mechanisms, secretagogue activity and stimulation of pulmonary surfactant, has to be considered. The therapeutic activity of ambroxol in models of the infant and adult respiratory distress syndrome and of the chronic bronchitic syndrome is reviewed.

ISSN:0025-7931    

DOI:10.1159/000195270

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1987

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

The antihypertensive drug, urapidil, competitively antagonized the hista-mine-induced contractions in guinea pig isolated tracheal and ileal preparations. Its affinity to histamine H1-receptors was 3-fold higher than that of histamine but 10- and 30-fold weaker than that of diphenhydramine and indoramin, respectively. Urapidil did not inhibit contractions induced by muscarinic agonists in both organs. Investigations in spontaneously breathing guinea pigs showed a greater efficacy of urapidil than that of diphenhydramine in protecting the animals against histamine-induced bronchospasms, whereas acetylcholine-induced spasms were only moderately inhibited. The-ophylline, at a 100-fold higher dosage than urapidil, protected the animals against both histamine and acetylcholine challenges. This experimentally observed effect of urapidil supports clinical trials in hypertensive patients suffering also from obstructive lung disease and/or allergic illness.

ISSN:0025-7931    

DOI:10.1159/000195161

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1987

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

The events leading to the onset of the experimental bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis are so far unknown, though recent observations emphasize the crucial role played by lung phospholipids and by alveolar macrophages. In an attempt to verify this point, a series of studies were undertaken by treating rats (CD-COBS) with intratracheal instillation of a single dose of bleomycin (1.5 U). At the same time a group of animals was pretreated with ambroxol (which is known to be a powerful inducer of surfactant production both in fetal and adult type II pneumocytes), 4 mg/kg body weight/day per os, 5 days before the treatment with bleomycin and up to the sacrifice of the animals at the 1st, 3rd, 7th, 14th or 28th day from the instillation. In our experimental model, the 14th day from the treatment with bleomycin seems to be a crucial time since it histologically corresponds to the proliferation of type II pneumocytes; furthermore, an increase of total lecithins in the alveolar spaces was observed, together with an increase of macrophage membrane fluidity. In the ambroxol-pre-treated group a partial reduction of the rate of interstitial fíbrosis was observed. At the 14th day from treatment the alteration of phospholipid levels was much less pronounced and the microviscosity of alveolar macrophages was similar to that of control animals. These data suggest that the onset of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in the rat is characterized by an increase of alveolar lecithins and that this fact could modify the physico-chemical peculiarities of alveolar macrophages. Ambroxol shows a partially protective effect, perhaps by modulating the activity of type II pneumocytes

ISSN:0025-7931    

DOI:10.1159/000195271

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1987

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

The site of bronchodilatation produced by inhaled salbutamol (0.045 mg/ kg) versus atropine (0.035 mg/kg) was investigated in 14 asthmatic young patients. No significant difference was found between the effects of the drugs on any of the large- or small-airway tests in those patients in whom bronchodilatation originated mainly in the large airways or when all patients were considered together. In those patients, however, in whom the small airways made the major contribution to the total airways resistance, atropine produced a higher increase in specific conductance, in maximal flow at all lung volumes and in density dependence of flow, but only the specific conductance showed a significant difference between the effects of the two drugs (p < 0.01). It was concluded that in these patients atropine produced more bronchodilatation than salbutamol in both central and peripheral airways. These findings do not confirm previous studies which suggested that in asthmatic patients, as in normal subjects, atropine produces mainly central bronchodilatation, while salbutamol produces mainly peripheral bronchodilatation. The difference in doses, route of administration, time response and in the pretreatment severity and site of bronchodilatation could account for the disagreement between previous studies and the present one.

ISSN:0025-7931    

DOI:10.1159/000195162

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1987

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

In a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial using parallel groups, we evaluated the effects of two dose levels of ambroxol (60 and 120 mg daily) versus placebo by means of pulmonary function tests, patients’ diary cards, interviews on current airway symptoms and subjective drug effects in 92 subjects with simple hypersecretory chronic bronchitis. The treatment period was 2 weeks. Subjects in the 120-mg group compared to the placebo group reported improvement in respiratory symptoms (p < 0.05), particularly in phlegm loosening (p < 0.05) and tended to prefer the treatment period when compared to placebo (p = 0.056). Lung function values and diary cards did not indicate significant change

ISSN:0025-7931    

DOI:10.1159/000195272

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1987

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Prostaglandins (PG) are very potent mediators which can dilate or constrict the bronchi. In order to evaluate the role of PG in the homeostasis of bronchial tone, we studied the effects of mefenamic acid, a potent cyclooxygenase inhibitor, on the pulmonary function tests of 20 volunteers. The subjects were studied randomly in two sessions, one with a placebo and one with mefenamic acid. Tablets (drug or placebo) were taken for 2 days with the pulmonary function tests performed in the afternoon of the second day. Sessions were performed at least 2 days apart. Parameters measured, including forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 s, expiratory flows, functional residual capacity and specific airway conductance (SGaw), were similar in both sessions. The SGaw, which was previously reported to increase with cyclooxygenase inhibitors, was 0.23 ± 0.06 s-1 • cm H2O-1 in the placebo session and 0.24 ± 0.06 in the mefenamic acid session (mean ± SD). This study shows that cyclooxygenase inhibitors have no effect on airway tone and strongly suggests that endogenous PG do not participate in the homeostasis of normal bronchial

ISSN:0025-7931    

DOI:10.1159/000195163

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1987

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Mucosolvan is a ‘mucus-modifier’ whose active compound is ambroxol. The aim of our research was to determine its clinical efficacy in the treatment of bronchial stasis by carrying out two successive double-blind studies in two parallel groups of patients and comparing ambroxol with placebo in a treatment lasting 10 days. The first trial involving 60 patients daily treated with 120 mg of ambroxol showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in sputum volume, sputum viscosity, difficulty of expectoration, and severity of cough when compared with the placebo group. The two groups of patients were initially well matched and the drug was well tolerated. In a second trial involving 60 new patients daily treated with 30 mg of ambroxol, the drug showed no clear clinical effects. We conclude that ambroxol is an effective ‘mucus modifier’ and is well tolerated at a dose of 120

ISSN:0025-7931    

DOI:10.1159/000195273

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1987

数据来源: Karger