Erdosteine enhances mucociliary clearance in rats with and without airway inflammation

Erdosteine is a new homocysteine-derived expectorant and has been reported to have many mucolytic effects. In this report, we studied the activities o f erdosteine on mucociliary clearance in normal and airway-inflammation-ind uced rats. In normal rats, erdosteine at doses of 100-600 mg/kg significant ly promoted mucociliary clearance. However, erdosteine did not change the c oncentrations of mucopolysaccharides in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) . In the LPS-instillated rats, the mucociliary clearance was inhibited and the number of inflammatory cells, albumin concentration, and mucopolysaccha rides concentration in BALF were increased. Erdosteine at doses of 100-600 mg/kg significantly attenuated the inhibition of mucociliary clearance and the increase of inflammatory cells, however, it did not prevent the increas e of albumin and mucopolysaccharides. Other mucolytic drugs which are ambro xol and S-carboxymethylcysteine, had no effect. These results indicate that erdosteine promotes the mucociliary clearance in normal and airway-inflamm ation- induced rats. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.