Nasal mucociliary clearance and salmeterol

In vitro studies have suggested that beta 2-adrenergic agents increase the ciliary beat frequency in human respiratory epithelium. We carried out a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial to investigate the effects of a topical spray, salmeterol, on nasal mucociliary clearance using the saccharin test. Thirty-three healthy adults were recruited. There was a 21% reduction of nasal mucociliary transport time of saccharin with salmeterol compared to placebo (P = 0.0001). There was no effect of age, sex, order of treatment, interval between spray and saccharin test, or history of seasonal allergic rhinitis on the improvement in clearance times.