Effects and mechanisms of ambroxol inhalation (Mucosolvan®) in the treatment of neonatal pneumonia.

Neonatal pneumonia is the leading cause of mortality in children aged <5 years. Ambroxol (Mucosolvan®) is a mucolytic and secretolytic drug and belongs to the group of expectorants with anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. The purpose of the present study was to observe the effects and mechanisms of Mucosolvan ® inhalation on neonatal pneumonia. Between January 2014 and October 2015, a total of 80 newborns with pneumonia were randomly divided into control and observation groups. While the patients in the control group were treated with conventional treatment only, those patients in the observation group were treated with Mucosolvan® in addition to the conventional treatment. The lung function index and serum inflammatory mediators were measured before and after treatment on days 1, 3 and 7. In the observation group, there was a significant increase in the lung function index as compared to the control group. Also, there was a significant decrease observed in the expression of inflammatory factors which in turn activated NF-κB pathway and cell apoptosis. The above findings had shown that Mucosolvan® improved lung function and exhibited good inflammatory response. In addition, we found that Mucosolvan® inhibited cell apoptosis and NF-κB pathway activation and effectively improved pulmonary functions.