[Ultrastructure and study of olfactory cell apoptosis in olfactory mucosa of rats suffering from chronic sinusitis].
OBJECTIVE
To study the ultrastructure change and cell apoptosis in the olfactory mucosa of rats suffering from chronic sinusitis, and aim to elucidate the possible mechanism and provide a novel concept of therapy approach to olfactory disease caused by chronic sinusitis.


METHODS
Light microscope and transmission electron microscope were used to observe the ultrastructure changes in the olfactory mucosa of 20 rats suffering from chronic sinusitis and that in 20 cases of normal olfactory mucosa. By the method of TUNEL (TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling), we studied the apoptosis index (AI) in the olfactory mucosa of 20 rats suffering from chronic sinusitis and that in 20 cases of normal olfactory mucosa.


RESULTS
(1) Observation by transmission electron microscope: In the olfactory epithelium of the rats group suffering from chronic sinusitis, the ultrastructure of the olfactory epithelium showed some abnormal changes: Olfactory epithelium cells showed a variety of degeneration ornecrosis, the olfactory epithelium were quite disorganized. Supporting cell nuclei were oval, the nuclei of the cell aggregated as the plaque and fringe collection, the density of cytoplasm decreased. Surface microvillus of the olfactory cells reduced and disappeared, part of the karyolemma defected like morphology change about cell apoptosis. Inflammatory cells infiltrated. Basement membrane was exposed and cells were quite disorganized. Olfactory gland cells were prismatic, cell spaces were widen and secretion increased in the cavosurface. In the olfactory mucosa of normal group, the ultrastructure of olfactory epithelium showed some normal changes: Olfactory epithelium were quite regularity, supporting cells and olfactory cells were radial arrangement, basement membrane were integrated, the structure of olfactory gland were completed, microvirus were in richet in cavosurface and slight of serositim were in the cavosurface; (2) The apoptosis index (AI) in the olfactory epithelium of the rats group suffering from chronic sinusitis was higher than that in normal group (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
There is a ultrastructural change from the surface to the inner of olfactory mucosa in rats suffering from chronic sinusitis. There is notable apoptosis in the olfactory epithelium and propria lamina of rats suffering from chronic sinusitis.
Zhang
Xianghong
X
Department of Otolaryngology, Second Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710004, China.
Zhao
Lin
L
Sun
Bin
B
Liang
Jianmin
J
Xu
Min
M
Hao
Hong
H
Wang
Botao
B
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D009831:Olfactory Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000473:pathology*