EFFECTS OF SEAPROSE ON THE RHEOLOGY OF BRONCHIAL MUCUS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC-BRONCHITIS - A DOUBLE-BLIND-STUDY VS PLACEBO

There are changes in the rheological characteristics of mucus (viscoel asticity) in several pulmonary pathologies, and especially in chronic bronchitis. Seaprose, a proteolytic enzyme, is one of the pharmacologi cal possibilities for affecting the rheology of bronchial mucus to cor rect mucostasis and improve its clearance. The action of this drug on the viscoelasticity of bronchial mucus was assessed in a double-blind vs placebo study with 20 randomly balanced chronic bronchitis patients using a new kind of portable rheometer with special features designed for routine bronchial mucus analysis in clinical practice at the pati ent's bedside. It was found that in the group of patients who were giv en the placebo, there were no particular changes in the rheological be haviour of mucus, while in those patients who were given seaprose ther e were significant changes in both viscosity and elasticity at the end of treatment. Eight days after the end of treatment with seaprose, th ere was still a significant beneficial effect on the viscoelasticity o f mucus and a sort of ''post-mucolytic effect'' can be postulated. Sea prose also had antiinflammatory action, and since in chronic bronchiti s there are variable degrees of inflammations, its beneficial long-las ting effect could also be ascribed to this concomitant action.