Effects of cigarette smoke on Haemophilus influenzae-induced otitis media in a rat model

Sung-Won Choi,Il-Woo Lee,Soo-Keun Kong,Eun-Jin Kang,Hyun Min Lee,Hwan Ho Lee,Sunmi Choi,Se-Joon Oh

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-99367-w

Sung-Won Choi, Il-Woo Lee + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-99367-w

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Abstract

Exposure to cigarette smoke (CS) is a factor that could delay or worsen the recovery of otitis media (OM) by causing inflammatory swelling of the Eustachian tube (ET). However, despite the suggested relationship, little is known about the association between OM and CS. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the effects of CS on the development, progression, and recovery of OM, as well as the histological and molecular changes caused by CS exposure, by using a rat model of OM infected with non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi). Eighty Sprague–Dawley rats with normal middle ears (MEs) were divided into four groups (n = 20 rats/group): control, CS, OM, and CS + OM. The CS and CS + OM groups were exposed to CS for 2 weeks. The inflammatory reaction to NTHi was more intense and lasted longer in the CS + OM group than in the other groups. Goblet cell proliferation and mucus secretion in the ET were more significant in the CS and CS + OM groups than in the other groups. These findings suggested that because CS directly affects the ET and ME mucosa, bacterial OM can become more severe and may resolve more slowly in the presence of CS exposure rather than in its absence.

Highlights

Exposure to cigarette smoke (CS) is a factor that could delay or worsen the recovery of otitis media (OM) by causing inflammatory swelling of the Eustachian tube (ET)
We aimed to evaluate the effects of CS on the development, progression, and recovery of OM, as well as the histological and molecular changes caused by CS exposure, by using a rat model of OM infected with non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi)
Mainstream smoke is defined as the smoke exhaled by the smoker, and sidestream smoke is defined as the smoke from burning cigarette[21]

Summary

Introduction

Exposure to cigarette smoke (CS) is a factor that could delay or worsen the recovery of otitis media (OM) by causing inflammatory swelling of the Eustachian tube (ET). Goblet cell proliferation and mucus secretion in the ET were more significant in the CS and CS + OM groups than in the other groups These findings suggested that because CS directly affects the ET and ME mucosa, bacterial OM can become more severe and may resolve more slowly in the presence of CS exposure rather than in its absence. CS directly affects the ET and ME mucosa during both short-term (1–8 weeks) and long-term (4–6 months) exposures by causing histologic changes involving goblet cell proliferation and excessive mucus s ecretion[17,18]. Despite the suggested relationship between CS and the ET, little is known about the association between OM and CS, and few studies have investigated the effects of CS on the progression and recovery of OM

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