title: Effect of apolactoferrin on experimental pneumococcal otitis media.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To find the effect of apolactoferrin administration on the middle and inner ears after experimentally induced pneumococcal otitis media.
  
  
  METHODS
  Histopathologic and morphometric analysis of the middle and inner ears.
  
  
  METHODS
  University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten chinchillas.
  
  
  METHODS
  The middle ear cavities of chinchillas were inoculated bilaterally with type 2 wild-type Streptococcus pneumoniae. Twenty-four hours later, the ears of 5 of the animals were injected with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and the other 5 with human apolactoferrin. The animals were killed 24 hours after the last injection. Bacterial counts were made of the middle ear effusions, and the cochleae were processed for histologic analysis. The thickness of the round window membranes and bacterial and inflammatory cell infiltration of the round window membranes, and scala tympani and damage of the hair cells and stria vascularis were compared for these 2 groups of animals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Comparison of inflammatory and bacterial cells in the middle and inner ears, and damage to inner ear structures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bacterial plate counts of middle ear effusions (P  = .005) and the number of inflammatory cells in the round window membrane (P  = .047) were significantly lower in the apolactoferrin group compared with the group treated with PBS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further investigation of apolactoferrin as a nonantibiotic approach for the treatment of otitis media and its complications is needed to confirm its safety and efficacy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Schachern
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tsuprun
authors.forename: Sebahatin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cureoglu
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Ferrieri
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Briles
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Paparella
authors.forename: Steven K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Juhn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001059:Apoproteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002682:Chinchilla; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae
chemical_list: D001059:Apoproteins; C039223:apolactoferrin; D007781:Lactoferrin