Investigation into the effect of Fenoterol on mucociliary clearance in patients with chronic bronchitis

Abstract

We investigated the effect of Fenoterol, a selective beta 2 adrenoceptor stimulant, on mucociliary clearance in 12 patients with chronic bronchitis. Mucociliary clearance was measured with a scintillation camera after inhalation of a 99mTc labelled aerosol. Fenoterol was administered one h after acquisition commenced and imaging was maintained for a further two h. Three regions of interest (ROI) were selected over each lung to generate time activity curves. Corrections for decay, alveolar deposition (using 24 h image), cough and movement of activity through each ROI were carried out. An exponential function was fitted to the clearance curves to determine clearance rates. The increase in percentage clearance after Fenoterol administration for the left and right whole lung ROI was 35% and 36% per h respectively (P = 0.006 and 0.020). Fenoterol enhances cilial clearance in chronic bronchitis patients.

Effects of formoterol and tiotropium bromide on mucus clearance in patients with COPD

“…Positive effects of single doses of inhaled beta-agonists have been shown in other studies. Administration of single inhaled doses of fenoterol 13 and salbutamol 14 have been shown previously to enhance mucociliary clearance in COPD patients. While a single dose of 500 mg salbutamol was shown in another study to enhance mucociliary clearance during the next hour, 14 no effect of a single dose of 200 mg salbutamol was observed in this study.…”

“…While tertiary ammonium compounds such as atropine may slow mucociliary clearance, 9,10 quaternary ammonium compounds such as ipratropium bromide 11 and tiotropium bromide 12 have been reported not do so. Betaagonists including fenoterol, 13 salbutamol, 14 and formoterol 15 have been reported to enhance mucus clearance in patients, or to increase ciliary beat frequency in animal models. 16 The effect of a bronchodilator on mucus clearance may differ according to whether it is given continuously over several weeks, or as a single dose.…”

Ciliary Ultrastructure and Beating Activity in Rat and Guinea‐pig Respiratory Mucosa

“…1991) and dextromethorphan (Karttunen et al 1990) impair ciliary function thereby disturbing mucociliary clearance. Methylxanthines and some but not all (Isawa et al 1990) beta-adrenergic agonists have been shown to increase ciliary motility and mucociliary clearance (Matthys et al 1983;Wanner 1986;Weich et al 1988;Sanderson & Dirksen 1989;Ahrens ef al. 1990).…”