Mannitol delivery by vibrating mesh nebulisation for enhancing mucociliary clearance.

Area of Science:

• Respiratory Medicine
• Pharmaceutical Technology

Background:

• Airway surface liquid dehydration impairs mucociliary clearance in respiratory diseases like cystic fibrosis.
• Hyperosmolar agents, including nebulized hypertonic saline and dry powder mannitol, are effective for restoring mucociliary function.
• Nebulized mannitol formulations have not been previously investigated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of nebulizing mannitol using vibrating mesh technology.
• To evaluate the aerosol characteristics of nebulized mannitol formulations.
• To determine the impact of sodium chloride on mannitol nebulization.

Main Methods:

• Vibrating mesh nebulizer (Aeroneb Go™) was used for aerosolization.
• Laser diffraction assessed aerosol droplet size.
• Cascade impaction and HPLC confirmed fluid uniformity and correlated with droplet size.

Main Results:

• Mannitol aqueous solution showed poor nebulization with large droplet size and long treatment times.
• Addition of sodium chloride significantly improved nebulizer performance and aerosol characteristics.
• Formulations included deionized water, mannitol, sodium chloride solutions, and mannitol/sodium chloride combinations.

Conclusions:

• Nebulized mannitol delivery is feasible with vibrating mesh technology when combined with sodium chloride.
• Further in vivo studies are required to confirm the efficacy of nebulized mannitol.
• Nebulized mannitol may offer a palatable, long-acting mucoactive alternative for respiratory conditions.