Mucolytic drugs

A drug with mucolytic activity appears to reduce the viscosity (thickness) of respiratory secretions by direct action on the mucus. An example of a mucolytic drug is acetylcysteine (Mucomyst). 

The mucolytic acetylcysteine may be used as part of the treatment of bronchopulmonary diseases such as emphysema It is primarily given by nebulization but also may be directiy instilled into a tracheostomy to liquefy (thin) secretions. The mucolytic drugs are effective as adjunctive therapy in chronic bronchopulmonary diseases, such as chronic emphysema, emphysema with... 

Of course, the influence of organic solvents on enzyme enantioselectivity is not limited to proteases but it is a general phenomenon. Quite soon, different research groups described the results obtained with lipases [28]. For instance, the resolution of the mucolytic drug ( )-trans-sobrerol (11) was achieved by transesteriflcation with vinyl acetate catalyzed by the lipase from Pseudomonas cepacia adsorbed on celite in various solvents. As depicted in Scheme 1.3 and Table 1.5, it was found that t-amyl alcohol was the solvent of choice in this medium, the selectivity was so high ( >500) that the reaction stopped spontaneously at 50% conversion giving both +)4rans-sobrerol and (—)-trans-sobrerol monoacetate in 100% optical purity [29]. 

Albet, C., Sinchez, MjG., Colomt J. Determination of a new mucolytic drug Adamexina in biological liquids by photodensitometry , J. Chromatogr. 1980, tSI, 504-511. 

Mucolytic drugs such as acetylcysteine and am-broxol are given to improve sputum clearance. However, trials of their effectiveness have produced variable results. There is no evidence to support prescription of these agents in acute exacerbations. 

Interestingly, the use of mucolytic drugs, which alter the viscoelasticity of mucus, has been shown to increase the absorption of intranasally administered human growth hormone (22 kDa). In contrast, other studies have shown that antibodies (150-970 kDa) are able to diffuse through cervical mucus relatively unimpeded, a finding that suggests that the diffusion barrier to antibodies presented by mucus in the nasal cavity might be relatively minor [12]. 

Q9 Mucolytic drugs may be useful. These agents facilitate expectoration by reducing the viscosity of sputum. They break bonds in the glycoproteins contained in mucus, so liquefying the secretion and promoting easier removal from the lung. 

Ascoxal (a mucolytic drug). Then the gastric juice was concentrated by ultrafiltration and subjected to star electrophoresis in veronal bufiFer of pH 8.6, r/2 0.033. The curtain was stained after oven drying with amido black, azocarmine, or bromophenol blue. Up to 10 protein fractions were localized on the curtain, including pepsin, albumin, and contaminant protease (trypsin ) derived from regurgitated duodenal secretion. Peptic... 

Poole P J, Black P N 2001 Oral mucolytic drugs for exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. British Medical Journal 322 1271-1274 Rees P J, Dudley F1998 Oxygen therapy in chronic lung disease. British Medical Journal 317 871-874 Rees P ], Dudley F1998 Provision of oxygen at home. 

The chiral epoxide intermediate 47 can also be used for the synthesis of dihydropinol (48) (Scheme 21) [71], and an analog of sobrerol [72], which is a mucolytic drug [73] marketed as a racemate, although differences in activity between the two enantiomers have been reported [74],... 

Systematic reviews In a Cochrane review of 28 trials in 7042 patients with COPD, oral mucolytic treatment was not associated with an increase in adverse events compared with placebo [IIS ]. In fact, the meta-analysis showed a significant effect in favor of the mucolytic drugs (OR = 0.81 ... 

---