Lack of effect of ambroxol, a bronchial secretolytic agent, on gastric mucus in man.

The effect of ambroxol, a bronchial mucolytic agent, on gastric mucus was investigated in man. Ten patients with bronchial hypersecretion were treated with ambroxol 30 mg t.i.d. by the oral route for 10 days. Before and after treatment the amount of total mucoproteins in the gastric juice was measured and a 'mucoprotective index' was calculated. Neither quantitative nor qualitative changes in gastric mucus were observed after ambroxol treatment. Our results show that the drug does not exert lytic effects on the gastric mucus layer and hence is devoid of damaging activity on the gastric mucosa.