The beneficial effects of inhaled HS in CF patients (cystic fibrosis) have been well established. Concerns over safety and intolerability in patients with COPD/CB, based in part upon experiences with ultrasonic delivery devices, have limited interest in further exploring this therapeutic option. Although our clinical data suggests that HS delivered via jet nebulizer is generally well tolerated in patients with COPD/CB, our pre-clinical data suggests that cell shrinkage, the release of proinflammatory cytokines (i.e. IL-8), and transient cilia stasis is dependent upon the rate of aerosol delivery.