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Protective Effects of Topical and Systemic Ferulic Acid Treatment on Myringosclerosis in a Rat Model
Batuhan Sahin1, Hatice Celik1, Selda Kargin Kaytez1
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ministry of Health, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara.
Purpose:
Myringosclerosis is a frequent sequela following tympanic membrane injury, with oxidative stress playing a key role in its pathogenesis. Ferulic acid (FA), a natural antioxidant, has demonstrated protective effects in various experimental models. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of topical and systemic FA administration on myringosclerosis formation in a rat model.
Methods:
Thirty female Wistar albino rats were divided into 3 groups: control, topical FA, and systemic FA. Myringotomy was performed on the right ear of the control group and on both ears of the FA groups. FA was administered topically (0.1 mL to the external ear canal once daily) or intraperitoneally (150 mg/kg/d intraperitoneally) for 4 consecutive days. Otomicroscopic examinations and histopathologic evaluations (tympanic membrane thickness, inflammatory cell count, and histopathologic scoring) were performed on postoperative day 15. Data were analyzed using nonparametric tests with Bonferroni correction.
Results:
Both topical and systemic FA significantly reduced otomicroscopy and histopathologic scores, tympanic membrane thickness, and inflammatory cell infiltration compared with controls ( P <0.001). Topical FA administration resulted in significantly thinner tympanic membranes than systemic administration ( P <0.001), with no other significant differences between FA groups.
Conclusions:
FA effectively attenuates myringosclerosis formation in this rat model, with topical administration showing superior effects on tympanic membrane thickness. These findings suggest potential clinical applications of FA in preventing postoperative myringosclerosis, warranting further preclinical and clinical research.
