[Effects of drugs and environmental factors on ciliary movement (author's transl)]

The effects of a number of drugs, potassium and calcium ions, and air humidity on mucociliary function were studied in isolated preparations of rats bronchial tree. Adrenergic drugs increased the rate of ciliary beat significantly. Cilioexitation also occurred, though to a smaller degree, after application of acetylcholine, pilocarpine, aminophylline, prednisolone, KI and NH4C1. Serotonin, histamine, and acetylcystein did not change ciliary frequency to any significant degree; however, histamine in high concentrations caused ciliary incoordination. Codein and normetadon, nicotine and pentobarbital had a dose-dependent ciliodepressive effect. However, small concentrations of nicotine and pentobarbital were slightly stimulative. Methysergid and phentolamine were slightly ciliodepressive. Alterations of the concentrations of calcium and potassium ions in the nutritive solution influenced ciliary frequency but had no effect on other characteristic features of the ciliary movement. The ciliated epithelium of the bronchial tree could be irreversibly damaged by air having low relative humidity.