ArticlePhysiological reports2016
The differential effects of azithromycin on the airway epithelium in vitro and in vivo.
Article in Physiological reports, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers.
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Who cites it
23 citing papers in PubMed, 31 citations in OpenAlex.
- "The effect of 48-weeks azithromycin therapy on levels of soluble biomarkers associated with HIV-associated chronic lung disease".International immunopharmacology · 2023Trial
- Human airway organoids for bacterial-host interaction studies: methods, insights and translational promise.Thorax · 2026Review
- In Vitro and In Vivo Efficacy of Epithelial Barrier-Promoting Barriolides as Potential Therapy for Ulcerative Colitis.Biomedicines · 2026Article
- The Non-Antibacterial Effects of Azithromycin and Other Macrolides on the Bronchial Epithelial Barrier and Cellular Differentiation.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
- Azithromycin mitigates human rhinovirus impact on barrier integrity and function in non-diseased airway epithelium.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2025Article
- In vitro modelling of bacterial pneumonia: a comparative analysis of widely applied complex cell culture models.FEMS microbiology reviews · 2024Review
- Asthma and COPD: A Focus on β-Agonists - Past, Present and Future.Handbook of experimental pharmacology · 2024Review
- Article
- Elevated PLAUR is observed in the airway epithelium of asthma patients and blocking improves barrier integrity.Clinical and translational allergy · 2023Article
- Azithromycin promotes proliferation, and inhibits inflammation in nasal epithelial cells in primary ciliary dyskinesia.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Human bronchial epithelial cells from patients with asthma have an altered gene expression profile.ERJ open research · 2022Article
- Interleukin-18: A Novel Participant in the Occurrence, Development, and Drug Therapy of Obliterative Bronchiolitis Postlung Transplantation.Disease markers · 2021Article
- Rationale for azithromycin in COVID-19: an overview of existing evidence.BMJ open respiratory research · 2021Review
- Azithromycin ameliorates sulfur dioxide-induced airway epithelial damage and inflammatory responses.Respiratory research · 2020Article
- Pharmacological ablation of the airway smooth muscle layer-Mathematical predictions of functional improvement in asthma.Physiological reports · 2020Article
- Potential Role of Cellular Senescence in Asthma.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2020Review
- Azithromycin induces epidermal differentiation and multivesicular bodies in airway epithelia.Respiratory research · 2019Article
- Repair Process Impairment byFrontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2019Review
- In vitro performances of novel co-spray-dried azithromycin/rifampicin microparticles for Rhodococcus equi disease treatment.Scientific reports · 2018Article
- Post-ischemic treatment with azithromycin protects ganglion cells against retinal ischemia/reperfusion injury in the rat.Molecular vision · 2017Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Macrolides including azithromycin (AZM) can improve clinical symptoms in asthma regardless of infection status. The mechanisms underlying these beneficial effects are yet to be elucidated. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of AZM on the airway epithelial barrier both in an in vitro model and in patients with asthma. Primary human bronchial epithelial cells (HBEC) were grown at air liquid interface (ALI) and challenged using lipopolysaccharides from Pseudomonas aeruginosa AZM was added at various stages and barrier integrity assessed using transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and permeability to FITC-dextran. MMP-9 levels were measured using ELISA AZM enhanced barrier integrity (TEER/FITC-dextran), increased thickness, suppressed mucin production, and MMP-9 release during the formation of a normal epithelial barrier in vitro. MMP-9 levels inversely correlated with TEER AZM also enhanced maintenance of the barrier and facilitated repair post-LPS challenge. To provide translation of our findings, 10 patients with moderate-severe asthma were recruited and received 250 mg AZM o.d for 6 weeks. Bronchial biopsies taken pre- and post-AZM treatment did not show evidence of increased epithelial barrier thickness or decreased mucin production. Similarly, bronchial wash samples did not show reduced MMP-9 levels. Overall, our data show that AZM can significantly improve the development of a normal bronchial epithelial barrier in vitro, mimicking reepithelization postinjury. AZM also suppressed MMP-9 release which correlated with barrier integrity, suggesting a putative mechanism. However, these effects were not observed in biopsy samples from asthma patients treated with AZM, possibly due to small sample size.
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Registered trials
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