Aerosolized recombinant human lysozyme ameliorates Pseudomonas aeruginosa-induced pneumonia in hamsters.

Abstract

As an alternative to conventional antibiotics, aerosolized recombinant human lysozyme (rhLZ) was used to treat experimentally induced pneumonia. Syrian hamsters were inoculated intratracheally with a nonmucoid strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA), then exposed to a 1.0% solution of rhLZ in water for 2 hours per day for 3 consecutive days (controls were treated with aerosolized water alone). Compared to controls, the rhLZ-treated group showed statistically significant reductions in the following parameters: (1) lung histopathological changes, (2) bacterial colony-forming units in whole lung and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), (3) total BALF leukocytes, (4) percent BALF neutrophils, and (5) alveolar septal apoptosis. Exposure to aerosolized rhLZ also resulted in a large increase in BALF lysozyme activity. These findings indicate that aerosolized rhLZ may be potentially useful in reducing the level of bacterial colonization and inflammation in the lungs of patients with PA pneumonia.

• Authors: Tapan Bhavsar, Ming Liu, Diane Hardej, Xingjian Liu, Jerome Cantor
• Journal: Experimental lung research (Exp Lung Res) Vol. 36 Issue 2 Pg. 94-100 (Mar 2010) ISSN: 1521-0499 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 20205599 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Anti-Infective Agents
• Recombinant Proteins
• Muramidase

Topics

• Administration, Inhalation
• Animals
• Anti-Infective Agents (administration & dosage)
• Apoptosis
• Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid (cytology, immunology)
• Cricetinae
• Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
• Female
• Humans
• Leukocyte Count
• Lung (microbiology, pathology)
• Mesocricetus
• Muramidase (administration & dosage)
• Pneumonia, Bacterial (drug therapy, microbiology, pathology)
• Pseudomonas Infections (drug therapy, pathology)
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa
• Recombinant Proteins (administration & dosage)