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Combination of Merocel sponge with Lipopolysaccharide to establish rat rhinosinusitis model
Mengmeng Sun1, Junjie Yang2, Jiayu Liu2
1Key Laboratory of Prescription Effect and Clinical Evaluation of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of China, School of Pharmacy, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong, China; Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Ministry of Education, Yantai University, Yantai, Shandong, China.
Objective:
The study aimed to investigate the feasibility of establishing rhinosinusitis model in rats combinated with Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and merocel sponge.
Methods:
SD (Sprague Dawley) rats that underwent nasal obstruction using Merocel sponge packing, rats with LPS instillation alone, and rats with both nasal obstruction and LPS instillation were used to establish rat models of rhinosinusitis. After the models were established, the nasal symptoms of rats were recorded, the histopathological examination and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TME) of the sinus tissue were performed and the levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α), Interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the blood were also analyzed. The expressions of Aquaporin-5 (AQP5), Occludin, Toll-Like Receptor-4 (TLR4), Medullary differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) and phosphorylated (p)-p65 protein were detected by Western blot to evaluate the effect and mechanism of the experimental models.
Results:
We found that compared with the control group and LPS group, the sinusitis symptom scores in the Merocel sponge combined with LPS group were significantly increased; the respiratory epithelia of the maxillary sinus were degenerated, cilia were detached, and even inflammatory cell infiltration occurred; the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were increased; the expression of AQP5 and Occludin protein was decreased; and the expressions of TLR4, MyD88, and p-p65 protein were increased.
Conclusion:
For the first time, we successfully established a rat rhinosinusitis model using Merocel sponge with LPS and explored the possible mechanism of LPS action.
Insights
This study successfully created a rat rhinosinusitis model using Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and merocel sponge, revealing key inflammatory markers and mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Otorhinolaryngology
- Immunology
- Pathology
Background:
- Rhinosinusitis is a common condition with complex pathophysiology.
- Developing reliable animal models is crucial for understanding disease mechanisms and testing therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a feasible rat model of rhinosinusitis by combining merocel sponge-induced nasal obstruction with Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) instillation.
- To investigate the underlying mechanisms of inflammation and tissue damage in this model.
Main Methods:
- Established rhinosinusitis models in Sprague Dawley rats using merocel sponge packing, LPS instillation, or both.
- Assessed nasal symptoms, performed histopathological and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analyses of sinus tissue.
- Quantified serum levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6).
- Detected protein expression of Aquaporin-5 (AQP5), Occludin, Toll-Like Receptor-4 (TLR4), MyD88, and p-p65 via Western blot.
Main Results:
- The combined merocel sponge and LPS group exhibited significantly higher sinusitis scores compared to control and LPS-only groups.
- Histopathology revealed degeneration of respiratory epithelia, cilia detachment, and inflammatory cell infiltration in the maxillary sinus.
- Elevated serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were observed.
- Decreased expression of AQP5 and Occludin, alongside increased expression of TLR4, MyD88, and p-p65, indicated inflammatory pathway activation.
Conclusions:
- Successfully established a novel rat rhinosinusitis model using merocel sponge and LPS.
- The model effectively mimics key pathological features of rhinosinusitis and demonstrates the involvement of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway in LPS-induced inflammation.
