PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - RB Dowling AU - M Johnson AU - PJ Cole AU - R Wilson TI - Effect of salmeterol on Haemophilus influenzae infection of respiratory mucosa in vitro AID - 10.1183/09031936.98.11010086 DP - 1998 Jan 01 TA - European Respiratory Journal PG - 86--90 VI - 11 IP - 1 4099 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/11/1/86.short 4100 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/11/1/86.full SO - Eur Respir J1998 Jan 01; 11 AB - Haemophilus influenzae is a common bacterial pathogen causing human respiratory tract infections. We have previously shown that the beta2-agonist salmeterol reduces damage to the respiratory mucosa caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in vitro. We have now investigated the effect of salmeterol on H. influenzae infection of adenoid tissue in an organ culture by scanning electron microscopy. Tissue was preincubated with or without salmeterol (4x10(-7)M), prior to infection with H. influenzae and incubated for 12 or 24 h. Infected organ cultures had increased epithelial damage and decreased numbers of both ciliated and unciliated cells at 12h, which were significantly different (p < or = 0.01) from the controls at 24 h. Salmeterol (4x10(-7)M) significantly (p < or = 0.03) reduced damage and loss of ciliated cells in infected organ cultures at both 12 and 24, and significantly (p < or = 0.03) reduced loss of unciliated cells at 24 h. Salmeterol had no effect on the density of bacteria adhering to each individual mucosal feature or the total number of bacteria adhering to the organ culture. These results suggest that salmeterol protects the respiratory epithelium against Haemophilus influenzae-induced damage. The mechanism of salmeterol cytoprotection and its potential clinical relevance remain to be investigated.