title: Effects of topical oxiconazole and boric acid in alcohol solutions to rat inner ears.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to evaluate the ototoxicity of topical oxiconazole and boric acid in alcohol solutions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective controlled animal study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Research laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty adult Wistar albino rats were divided into 5 groups consisting of 10 animals each. The right tympanic membranes were perforated, and baseline and posttreatment distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) measurements were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The solutions were applied through the external ear canal to the middle ear twice a day for 14 days. The rats in group I and group II received 0.1 mL of oxiconazole-containing solution drops and 4% boric acid in alcohol solution drops, respectively. Group III received gentamicin solution (40 mg/mL) (ototoxic control), group IV received saline solution, and group V was followed without any medication. The baseline DPOAE results of the right ears of all animals tested were normal. Animals in groups I, II, IV, and V showed no statistically significant change in the DPOAE amplitudes. The rats in the gentamicin group showed a significant decrease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that topically used oxiconazole and boric acid in alcohol solutions to the middle ear appear to be safe on the inner ear of rats. The safety of these drugs has not yet been confirmed in humans. Caution should be taken when prescribing these drugs, especially to patients who had tympanic membrane perforation. Ear drops should be chosen more carefully in an external ear infection for patients with tympanic membrane perforation to avoid ototoxicity.
authors.affiliation: Cukurova University School of Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Adana, Turkey. drsozdemir@gmail.com
authors.forename: Süleyman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Özdemir
authors.forename: Ülkü
authors.initials: Ü
authors.lastname: Tuncer
authors.forename: Özgür
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Tarkan
authors.forename: Funda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Akar
authors.forename: Özgür
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Sürmelioğlu
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000818:Animals; D001888:Boric Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000187:drug effects*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D017084:Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous / Q000187:drug effects; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017751:Safety Management; D012996:Solutions; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D018058:Tympanic Membrane Perforation / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D001888:Boric Acids; D007093:Imidazoles; D012996:Solutions; D000431:Ethanol; C022155:oxiconazole; C032688:boric acid
keywords: boric acid; inner ear; otoacoustic emission; ototoxicity; oxiconazole