Drug effects on mucociliary function

We summarize the findings of 18 clinical studies carried out over a decade to ascertain the effect of 14 pharmacological agents on lung mucociliary clearance. These studies were carried out on a total of 172 subjects/patients and amounted to 443 individual assessments. The objective, in vivo radioaerosol technique was used to measure clearance. Bromhexine, aerosolized hypertonic saline and aminophylline enhanced the clearance of lung secretions. There was some indirect evidence of a speeding up of mucociliary clearance following the administration of prednisolone and the synthetic anticholinergic bronchodilator ipratropium, while hyoscine was found to reduce clearance. There was no effect on clearance of single doses of the beta blockers propranolol and atenolol, the beta 2 adrenergic drug terbutaline, the cholonergic drug bethanecol and the expectorants 2-mercapto-ethane-sulphonate (aerosol) and glycerol guaiacolate. Long term administration (4 - 7 days) of the beta 2 adrenergic drugs terbutaline and clenbuterol also failed to show any effect on lung mucociliary function.