The 'nasal pool' device applies controlled concentrations of solutes on human nasal airway mucosa and samples its surface exudations/secretions.

A 'nasal pool' (NP) device, a compressible plastic container with an adapted nozzle, was used to perform a continuous 10-min nasal provocation and lavage. This novel technique brings known concentrations of agents into contact with a large and defined area of the nasal mucosal surface for extended periods of time. Simultaneously, the surface exudations/secretions of the same nasal mucosa are effectively sampled by the NP fluid. A concentration-response study of histamine (80, 400 and 2000 micrograms/ml) was performed in 12 normal subjects on three different occasions. Exudation of plasma albumin into the lavage fluid was measured to quantitate the histamine-induced airway inflammation. The effect of the dwell time on exudation was examined using histamine (400 micrograms/ml) instilled in the nasal cavity for time periods from 10 sec to 10 min. The time course of histamine-induced plasma exudation response was studied by exposing the mucosa to histamine (400 micrograms/ml) for 12 min, with the NP renewed every minute. Allergen-provocations were performed in subjects with hay fever and TAME-esterase activity in the returned lavage fluid was determined to indicate the degree of response. Histamine produced a concentration-dependent increase in albumin levels in the NP fluid; 123.3 +/- 25.6, 213.8 +/- 19.7 and 430.2 +/- 32.0 micrograms/ml (mean +/- s.e.m.), respectively. The time-course study demonstrated that plasma exudation into the lumen occurred promptly and that the exudation response reached a maximum after exposure to histamine for 6-10 min. The dwell-time experiments supported this finding. After 10 min the exudation appeared to decline despite the continued presence of histamine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)