Clin Exp Otorhinolaryngol.  2014 Jun;7(2):106-111.

Effects of Topical Intranasal Doxycycline Treatment in the Rat Allergic Rhinitis Model

• Avincsal M
• Ozbal S
• Ikiz AO
• Pekcetin C
• Guneri EA

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a chronic upper respiratory tract disease that inflames the mucous membranes of the nose and occurs when circulating inflammatory cells including eosinophils and basophils migrate to and accumulate in the inflammation area by passing through the interstitium and capillary walls. To pass through these barriers, the inflammatory cells degrade extracellular matrix proteins. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) released by inflammatory cells mediate the degradation of these proteins. MMPs have synthetic inhibitors and doxycycline, a tetracycline antibiotic, inhibits MMPs. This study investigated the efficiency of intranasal doxycycline in decreasing the symptoms and inflammatory cell infiltration in an animal model of AR.
METHODS
AR was created in female Wistar rats by repeated intranasal challenge with ovalbumin by intraperitoneal injection. For 15 days, topical intranasal doxycycline was administered one hour before ovalbumin administration. Following intranasal administration, nasal symptoms were scored and the nasal mucosae of all rats were evaluated histopathologically. To investigate tissue changes, hematoxyline-eosin and Alcian blue/periodic acid Schiff stains were used. As well, cilia loss, goblet cell changes, vascular congestion, vascular proliferation, inflammatory cell infiltration, eosinophil infiltration and the degree of hypertrophy in chondrocytes were evaluated with light microscopy.
RESULTS
Typical symptoms of AR were decreased by intranasal doxycycline administration. These effects were stable after repeated intranasal ovalbumin administration. Histological evaluation of doxycycline treated rats did not reveal typical inflammatory changes associated with AR.
CONCLUSION
MMPs may have crucial functions in AR and topical intranasal doxycycline, which decreases inflammatory cell infiltration, may offer an alternative therapy for AR.

Keyword

Doxycycline; Allergic rhinitis; Matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors

MeSH Terms

Administration, Intranasal
Animals
Basophils
Capillaries
Chondrocytes
Cilia
Coloring Agents
Doxycycline*
Eosinophils
Estrogens, Conjugated (USP)
Extracellular Matrix Proteins
Female
Goblet Cells
Humans
Hypertrophy
Inflammation
Injections, Intraperitoneal
Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors
Matrix Metalloproteinases
Microscopy
Models, Animal
Mucous Membrane
Nasal Mucosa
Nose
Ovalbumin
Rats*
Rats, Wistar
Respiratory Tract Diseases
Rhinitis*
Tetracycline
Coloring Agents
Doxycycline
Estrogens, Conjugated (USP)
Extracellular Matrix Proteins
Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors
Matrix Metalloproteinases
Ovalbumin
Tetracycline

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Mean number of sneezes after nasal challenge.

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  Fig. 2 Mean number of nose scratches after nasal challenge.

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  Fig. 3 Summary of histological evaluations. Light-microscopic images of H&E (A-F) and Alcian blue/periodic acid Schiff (G-I) in the control group (A, D, G). Allergic rhinitis group (B, E, H) and the group treated with doxycycline (C, F, I). Stars indicate vascular congestion, white arrows indicate goblet cells, and black arrows indicate eosinophilis. A-C: H&E,×40; D-F: H&E,×100; G-I, Alcian blue/periodic acid Schiff,×40.

• 

  Fig. 4 Light-microscopic images of H&E staining in the allergic rhinitis group. Stars indicate vascular congestion and arrows indicate chondrocyte hypertrophy (×40).

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