Effects of erythromycin, aminoglycosides and doxycycline on mucociliary activity in vitro of rabbit trachea

The effect of different antibiotics on the mucociliary activity of the upper respiratory tract of rabbit was tested in vitro. Erythromycin base had no effect, although erythromycin lactobionate had a minor inhibitory effect. Kanamycin and gentamicin had no inhibitory effect in high concentrations. Doxycycline had the highest mucociliary inhibitory effect; however, the toxic concentrations are more than 10 times the clinically relevant serum levels after oral administration.