Measurement of water loss in human nasal mucosa.
BACKGROUND
Regulation of the barrier function in the nasal epithelium seems to be affected by the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis. The measurement of transepidermal water loss has proven to be an important noninvasive method for assessing the efficiency of the skin as a protective barrier. Although the nasal mucosal epithelium also has such a protective function, the precise mechanism still is unknown.


METHODS
We studied the alteration of nasal mucosal water loss in the basal state and after the nontraumatic applications of physiological saline, hypertonic saline (10% NaCl), nasal barrier cream, and 10% glycerol on the mucosal surface of the inferior turbinate.


RESULTS
We observed that nasal mucosal water loss was increased by hypertonic saline and decreased by nasal cream and glycerol.


CONCLUSIONS
For the first time, we showed the human nasal mucosal water loss both in the basal state and after topical application of various substances.
Miwa
Masato
M
Department of Otolaryngology, Koshigaya Hospital, Dokkyo University School of Medicine, Koshigaya, Saitama, Japan. masato@dokkyomed.ac.jp
Nakajima
Noriyuki
N
Matsunaga
Mayumi
M
Watanabe
Kensuke
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005990:Glycerol / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009824:Ointments / Q000494:pharmacology; D012016:Reference Values; D012462:Saline Solution, Hypertonic / Q000494:pharmacology; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D012996:Solutions / Q000494:pharmacology; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism; D014870:Water Loss, Insensible / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
D009824:Ointments; D012462:Saline Solution, Hypertonic; D012996:Solutions; D014867:Water; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D005990:Glycerol