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Transtympanic versus intramuscular steroid administration in a histamine-induced inflammatory middle-ear model

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 November 2006

T S Chimona
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, University of Crete School of Medicine, Crete
J G Panayiotides
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology, University of Athens Medical School (Attikon Hospital), Athens, Greece
C E Papadakis
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, University of Crete School of Medicine, Crete
E S Helidonis
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, University of Crete School of Medicine, Crete
G A Velegrakis
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, University of Crete School of Medicine, Crete

Abstract

Objectives: Assessment of the histopathologic effect of transtympanic and intramuscular administration of dexamethasone in an in vivo experimental animal model of middle-ear mucosal inflammation.

Methods: Fifty healthy rabbits weighting 1500–1800 g were randomly divided in three groups. In 10 animals (control group), 0.5 ml of a 20 mg/ml histamine solution was injected transtympanically. In 20 rabbits (group A), histamine challenge followed a three day intramuscular pretreatment with dexamethasone at 1 mg/kg per day. In 20 rabbits (group B), histamine challenge followed pretreatment with dexamethasone via a transtympanic route (0.3 ml, 1.2 mg dexamethasone). Middle-ear mucosa was obtained for histopathology 30 minutes after histamine administration. The following parameters were assessed: inflammation, acute inflammatory component, presence of eosinophils, inflammatory activity and fibrosis.

Results: Oedema, vascular dilatation and congestion, inflammation, the presence of an acute (polymorphonuclear) inflammatory component, the presence of eosinophils, and inflammatory activity were found to be of a lesser grade in the mucosae of group B. All differences were found to be statistically highly significant (p<0.01) using the Mann–Whitney test.

Conclusion: Our findings validate the transtympanic route of dexamethasone administration in counteracting histamine effects.

Type
Main Articles
Copyright
2007 JLO (1984) Limited

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Footnotes

Presented in part at the Fifth European Congress of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology Head and Neck Surgery, 11–16 September 2004, Rhodes, Greece, and at the XVIII International Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies World Congress, 25–30 June 2005, Rome, Italy.