O riginal Paper Respiration 1992;59:151-154
Departments of Physical Therapy and Clinical Physiology, University of Lund, Sweden
Key Words Aerosols Ethanol Cilia Radionuclide imaging Mucociliary clearance
Immediate Effects of Ethanol on Mucociliary Clearance in Healthy Men
Abstract A recent experimental study has shown that ethanol concentrations below 1% increase ciliary beat frequency in preparations of sheep trachea. This study was designed to investigate whether low ethanol concentrations also increase mu cociliary clearance in man. Mucociliary clearance was measured using inhaled, radiolabelled particles. Clearance was measured in normal men for 30 min un der baseline conditions. The subjects then ingested 28 g of ethanol, and clear ance was measured for a further 40 min. The subjects reached a mean plasma concentration of 0.04% 30 min after ethanol intake. The mean half-life of the radioactive particles in the lung was 160 min under basal conditions and 257 min after ethanol ingestion. The difference was not statistically significant. We conclude that low ethanol concentrations do not increase mucociliary clear ance in man.
Introduction The incidence of lung disease is high in alcohol abusers [1], It has, however, been difficult to show whether the high prevalence of respiratory diseases is due to smoking habits or to ethanol consumption, as many subjects with high eth anol consumption also arc smokers. Among later epidemi ological studies, which take confounding factors into ac count, one showed a correlation between ethanol con sumption and pulmonary function [2], while another [3] found no evidence of an association between consumption of ethanol and airway disease. It is well known from in vitro studies of tracheal epi thelium that ethanol reduces ciliary beat frequency and may cause ciliostasis [4. 5]. The ethanol concentrations
Received: December 3 . 199I Accepted after revision: May 21.1992
used in these studies are far higher than those reached in man after social drinking. Maurer and Licbman [6] re cently investigated the effects of lower ethanol concentra tions in vitro on ciliary motility in sheep. They found that ciliary beat frequency increased from the control level af ter exposure to low ethanol concentration but decreased after exposure to higher concentrations. Increased beat frequency was seen in the concentration range of 0.0250.075%, with the maximum effect at 0.025%. Concentra tions above 0.1% instead reduced the ciliary beat fre quency. The study thus indicates a dual response of ciliary activity to ethanol concentrations commonly occurring in man. Ciliary beat frequency is one of several factors deter mining the rate of mucociliary transport. Experimental
Per Wollmer Dept, of Clinical Physiology Lasarcttct S—221 85 Lund (Sweden)
© l
Departments of Physical Therapy and Clinical Physiology, University of Lund, Sweden
Key Words Aerosols Ethanol Cilia Radionuclide imaging Mucociliary clearance
Immediate Effects of Ethanol on Mucociliary Clearance in Healthy Men
Abstract A recent experimental study has shown that ethanol concentrations below 1% increase ciliary beat frequency in preparations of sheep trachea. This study was designed to investigate whether low ethanol concentrations also increase mu cociliary clearance in man. Mucociliary clearance was measured using inhaled, radiolabelled particles. Clearance was measured in normal men for 30 min un der baseline conditions. The subjects then ingested 28 g of ethanol, and clear ance was measured for a further 40 min. The subjects reached a mean plasma concentration of 0.04% 30 min after ethanol intake. The mean half-life of the radioactive particles in the lung was 160 min under basal conditions and 257 min after ethanol ingestion. The difference was not statistically significant. We conclude that low ethanol concentrations do not increase mucociliary clear ance in man.
Introduction The incidence of lung disease is high in alcohol abusers [1], It has, however, been difficult to show whether the high prevalence of respiratory diseases is due to smoking habits or to ethanol consumption, as many subjects with high eth anol consumption also arc smokers. Among later epidemi ological studies, which take confounding factors into ac count, one showed a correlation between ethanol con sumption and pulmonary function [2], while another [3] found no evidence of an association between consumption of ethanol and airway disease. It is well known from in vitro studies of tracheal epi thelium that ethanol reduces ciliary beat frequency and may cause ciliostasis [4. 5]. The ethanol concentrations
Received: December 3 . 199I Accepted after revision: May 21.1992
used in these studies are far higher than those reached in man after social drinking. Maurer and Licbman [6] re cently investigated the effects of lower ethanol concentra tions in vitro on ciliary motility in sheep. They found that ciliary beat frequency increased from the control level af ter exposure to low ethanol concentration but decreased after exposure to higher concentrations. Increased beat frequency was seen in the concentration range of 0.0250.075%, with the maximum effect at 0.025%. Concentra tions above 0.1% instead reduced the ciliary beat fre quency. The study thus indicates a dual response of ciliary activity to ethanol concentrations commonly occurring in man. Ciliary beat frequency is one of several factors deter mining the rate of mucociliary transport. Experimental
Per Wollmer Dept, of Clinical Physiology Lasarcttct S—221 85 Lund (Sweden)
© l
