Efficacy of Ambroxol Combined with Loquat Syrup on Bacterial Pneumonia in Mice.

PURPOSE

Bacterial pneumonia is a prevalent respiratory disease and a primary cause of death among hospitalized patients. Ambroxol and loquat syrup are widely utilized pharmaceuticals for managing respiratory infections in China. This study investigates the potential application and efficacy of combining ambroxol with loquat syrup for treating bacterial pneumonia.

METHODS

In this study, mice with P. aeruginosa-induced bacterial pneumonia were used to evaluate the therapeutic effects of ambroxol, loquat syrup, and their combination. A bacterial plate coating assay was performed to measure the P. aeruginosa content in saliva, lung tissue, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). A plate colony counting assay was conducted to assess the antibacterial activity of ambroxol and loquat syrup. Serum, BALF, and lung tissues were analyzed using qPCR, ELISA, immunohistochemistry, and hematoxylin-eosin staining to evaluate disease severity.

RESULTS

In this study, the experimental results demonstrate that, compared to treatment with ambroxol and/or loquat syrup alone, the combined administration of ambroxol and loquat syrup significantly increases the volume of saliva expectorated by mice infected with bacteria, concurrently augmenting bacterial presence in saliva while diminishing bacterial burden in the lungs, with significant differences observed (<0.05). Furthermore, the combined therapy of ambroxol and loquat syrup achieved better therapeutic effects on P. aeruginosa pneumonia compared to ambroxol and/or loquat syrup alone (<0.05), as evidenced by significantly reduced P. aeruginosa-induced lung injury, improved lung permeability, decreased inflammatory cell infiltration, and lower expression of inflammatory cytokines.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that the combination therapy of ambroxol and loquat syrup presents a safe and feasible new treatment strategy for bacterial pneumonia, offering promising benefits for ameliorating lung tissue damage and inflammation.