Stimulation of lung maturity: investigation of ambroxol in various animal models.

The surfactant or phospholipid lining of the alveolar surface is essential for lung function and airway stability. In premature neonates, the idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome (IRDS) is usually due to a prenatal deficiency in pulmonary surfactant. Experimental and clinical investigations with corticosteroids and other drugs were conducted to study various aspects of lung maturation. The present study of Ambroxol, a new compound with surfactant stimulating properties, was carried out on adult and foetal animals. In adult experimental animals an increase in the activity of Type II pneumocytes was shown by measuring various biochemical parameters. In models of premature animals comparable to clinical IRDS conditions, the antenatal treatment of foetal lambs and rabbits with Ambroxol enhanced lung maturation.