title: Rat eustachian tube synthesizes disaturated phosphatidylcholine.
abstract: Otitis media results when the eustachian tube fails to adequately ventilate the middle ear. A surface tension-lowering substance may be required for normal tube opening, especially in young children with poorly developed naso-pharyngeal musculature. We report here that rat eustachian tube epithelium synthesizes disaturated phosphatidylcholine, which is recognized as the surface tension-lowering substance of pulmonary surfactant.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D005064:Eustachian Tube / Q000378:metabolism*; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000188:drug therapy; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; C017463:lecithins, disaturated