Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T22:08:56.109Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

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

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

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.