Lovejoy H M, McGuirt W F, Ayres P H, Hayes A W, Coggins C R, Sagartz J
Department of Otolaryngology, Wake Forest University Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC.
Laryngoscope. 1994 Sep;104(9):1055-8. doi: 10.1288/00005537-199409000-00001.
Secretory otitis media is common in the winter, and the possible risk factors are numerous. This study examines the effect of low humidity on the middle ear using a Sprague-Dawley rat model: 23 test rats housed for 5 days in a low-humidity environment (10% to 12% relative humidity) and 23 control rats housed at 50% to 55% relative humidity. Microscopic ear examinations were graded for otitis media with effusion (OME) before testing and on test days 3 and 5. The mucosa of the middle ears and eustachian tubes was examined histopathologically. Significantly more effusions were observed in the low-humidity group on test days 3 (P = .003) and 5 (P = .01), but no intergroup histopathologic differences were noted. We conclude that a low-humidity environment contributed to the development of OME in the test animals, and that low-humidity warrants further investigation as a contributing factor in childhood middle ear disease.
分泌性中耳炎在冬季较为常见，其潜在风险因素众多。本研究使用斯普拉格-道利大鼠模型，探讨低湿度对中耳的影响：将23只试验大鼠置于低湿度环境（相对湿度10%至12%）中饲养5天，23只对照大鼠置于相对湿度50%至55%的环境中饲养。在试验前以及试验第3天和第5天，对耳部进行显微镜检查，对中耳积液性中耳炎（OME）进行分级。对中耳和咽鼓管黏膜进行组织病理学检查。在试验第3天（P = .003）和第5天（P = .01），低湿度组观察到的积液明显更多，但未发现组间组织病理学差异。我们得出结论，低湿度环境促使试验动物发生OME，低湿度作为儿童中耳疾病的一个促成因素值得进一步研究。
