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Mucin production in the middle ear in response to lipopolysaccharides
S E Hunter1, A K Singla, J Prazma
1Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, USA.
Objective:
This study examined the response of middle ear tissue to establish the lowest dose of lipopolysaccharide to induce mucin production in a rat otitis media model.
Methods:
Twenty-six male Sprague-Dawley rats' eustachian tubes were obstructed before transtympanic inoculation of the bulla tympanica with 35 microL of Krebs Ringer or 1, 10, 100, or 1000 microgram/mL lipopolysaccharide. After 7 days the effusion and a lavage were collected for mucin ELISA measurement, and tissue was collected for histologic evaluation.
Results:
Mucin secretion was significantly increased in the 100 microgram/mL 51.20 +/- 13.6 microgram/mL (SE) and 1000 microgram/mL 69.42 +/- 8.57 microgram/mL groups when compared with the Krebs Ringer control group 1.84 +/- 0.28 microgram/mL (P < 0.05). Histologic evaluation shows goblet cell metaplasia and hyperplasia in the middle ear epithelium in the 1000 and 100 microgram/mL groups.
Conclusions:
The histology and ELISA results suggest that a middle ear effusion is generated with a dose of lipopolysaccharide as low as 100 microgram/mL.