Shusheng Tai (1), Hirofumi Kai (1), Tomoyuki Kido (1), Yoichiro Isohama
(1), Kazuo Takahama (2) and Takeshi Miyata (1,*)
(1) Department of Pharmacological Sciences and (2) Department of Hygienic
Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Oe-honmachi
5-1, Kumamoto 862, Japan
(*) To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract: We investigated the effect of human neutrophil elastase
(HNE) on tracheal mucociliary transport in anesthetized quails. Topical
application of HNE (30 - 300 microg/kg) to tracheal mucosa dose-dependently
decreased mucociliary transport velocity (MCTV). The HNE (300 microg/kg)-induced
decrease in MCTV was blocked by ONO-5046„Na (sodium N-[2-[4-(2,2-dimethylpropionyloxy)phenyl-sulfonylamino]benzoyl]aminoacetate
tetrahydrate) (3 - 30 mg/kg, i.m.), a specific neutrophil elastase inhibitor.
Furthermore, we found that HNE increased DNA, fucose and protein contents
of tracheal lavages, and the increases were also reverted by ONO-5046„Na.
These results indicated that HNE decreased tracheal mucociliary transport,
and the decrease may be, at least in part, ascribed to the deterioration
of tracheal secretions.
Keywords: Tracheal mucociliary transport, Tracheal secretion, Human neutrophil
elastase