title: Surfactant protein A in rabbit sinus and middle ear mucosa.
abstract: In the present study, pulmonary surfactant protein A (SP-A) messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein were characterized in adult rabbit middle ear and maxillary sinus. Fifteen adult rabbits were used for the study: 6 with evidence of acute middle ear infections and maxillary sinusitis, 6 with infections that were successfully treated with tetracycline, and 3 that were pathogen-free. We detected SP-A mRNA in maxillary sinus and middle ear tissues by Northern blot analysis and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The RT-PCR also revealed the presence of SP-B and SP-C mRNA in middle ear and sinus tissues. We detected SP-A protein, of molecular weight approximately 29 and 70 kd, in middle ear and sinus tissues by immunoblot analysis. Unlike the SP-A protein present in the lung, the molecular weight of the SP-A protein present in the middle ear and paranasal sinus was not altered by digestion with an enzyme that cleaves N-linked carbohydrates. Immunostaining and in situ hybridization showed that SP-A protein and mRNA, respectively, were present in surface epithelial cells of the middle ear and in epithelial cells of submucosal glands in sinus tissues. These data provide the first evidence of the presence of pulmonary surfactant proteins in the paranasal sinuses and confirm previous reports of SP-A in the middle ear epithelium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, USA.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Dutton
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Goss
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Khubchandani
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Snyder
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008443:Maxillary Sinus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D015523:Maxillary Sinusitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D011510:Proteolipids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D037662:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A; D037661:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D006023:Glycoproteins; D011510:Proteolipids; D037662:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A; D037661:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants; D012333:RNA, Messenger