Effect of surface-active substance on nasal mucociliary clearance time: a comparison of saccharin clearance time before and after the use of surface-active substance.

Mucociliary clearance measured by saccharin clearance time is depending on ciliary function and on the physiological characteristics of mucus. The aim of this study was to determine whether the application of surface-active substances changed the mucociliary transport time. Twenty healthy persons were manually sprayed with surface-active substance in one of their nose cavities. The saccharin clearance time was measured before spraying and statistically compared with saccharin clearance time after spraying. Saccharin clearance time was significantly shortened immediately after spraying with surface-active substances. This difference was not found 2 h later. Our assay indicates that surfactant increases the rate of mucociliary transport in the upper respiratory tract.