[The effect of ambroxol and bromhexine on the "respiratory burst" of alveolar macrophages].

The effect of ambroxol and bromhexine on the yeast cell wall- and arachidonic acid (AA)-induced luminol-respectively lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) of alveolar macrophages (AM) of patients with lung diseases has been investigated. Both drugs cause a suppression of the induced CL. These results suggest that ambroxol and bromhexine reduce the generation of reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) by AM. The mechanism of action is thought to involve the activation of the acyl-CoA: lysophosphatide acyltransferase. The increase of this enzyme activity lowers probably the intracellular concentration of free AA and consequently also the production of ROM. The investigations show a new possibility for the influence of biosynthesis of ROM and likely of eicosanoids, which play an important role as pathogenetic mediators in different lung diseases.