The effect of mucolytic agents and topical decongestants on the ciliary activity of chicken tracheal organ cultures.

The chicken tracheal organ culture system was used to study the effect on cilia function of two frequently used topical decongestants and four mucolytic agents. The agents used were: phenylephrine hydrochloride spray 0.25%, oxymetazoline 0.05%, sodium bicarbonate 7.5%, acetylcysteine 10%, pancreatic dornase 50,000 units/ml, and L-arginine 5.6%. The tracheal rings were given two kinds of exposure to the test drugs. Only pancreatic dornase was not ciliotoxic. Until further data are available, including studies with human organ cultures, it would perhaps be wise to discourage the topical use of phenylephrine hydroxhloride spray 0.25% and oxymetazoline 0.05%, and to consider pancreatic dornase as the mucolytic agent of choice.