Reduction of sputum viscosity

P. L. Shah, S. Scott, A. Laiulcy, G. Martin, C. Marriott, and M. E. Hodson. Preliminary report on in vivo reduction of sputum viscosity in cystic fibrosis patients treated... 

In clinical studies, Tamaoki and colleagues [35] examined the effect of clarithromycin on sputum production and its rheological properties in patients with chronic lower respiratory tract infections. Clarithromycin was given at 100 mg twice daily for 8 weeks and compared with placebo. They showed that clarithromycin almost halved sputum volume, and that the percent solids of the sputum increased, with no effect of placebo. Elastic modulus (O ) significantly increased (at 10 Hz), whereas dynamic viscosity (h ) remained unchanged (Fig. 9). The reduction of sputum production and the corresponding increase in... 

Vasconcellos CA. Reduction in viscosity of cystic fibrosis sputum in vitro by gelsolin. Science 2002, 263, 969-971. 

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