An evaluation of ketoprofen as an intranasal anti-inflammatory agent

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of ketoprofen when locally applied to tissue-cultured nasal epithelium.

Healthy primary nasal epithelial cells were grown in a tissue culture medium. MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay was used to evaluate cytotoxicity. Markers of cellular injury revealed by the MTT assay include fragmentation of DNA, condensed nuclei, and changes affecting the cellular outer membrane and cytoskeleton. Epithelial cells at body temperature in cell culture were exposed over a 24-hour period to ketoprofen. Following the MTT assay, the confocal microscopic examination was performed. The extent to which epithelial cells remained capable of proliferating was evaluated by inducing a scratch injury, waiting for the repair to occur, and then examining the result with the ordinary light microscope.

Topically applied ketoprofen does not affect the viability of tissue-cultured nasal epithelial cells within a 24-hour period. Furthermore, there were no cellular morphological alterations observed which would indicate toxicity from ketoprofen. In the scratch assay, the cells regained a normal confluent appearance within 24 hours. Thus, ketoprofen neither increases nor alters the rate at which nasal epithelial cells proliferate.

Ketoprofen, when applied topically for 24 hours to nasal epithelial cells in cell culture, does not cause any alterations in cellular appearance which would suggest impairment of the ability to proliferate or indicate a cytotoxic effect. Extrapolating from these results, it appears acceptable to use ketoprofen topically within the nose in cases of rhinosinusitis (acute or chronic) or nasal pain since there is minimal risk of local toxic injury.