CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Laryngorhinootologie 2018; 97(S 02): S335
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1640879
Abstracts
Rhinologie: Rhinology

The impact of cocaine on ciliary beat frequency of human nasal epithelial cells – an in vitro study

A Nastev
1   Universitätsmedizin Mannheim, HNO-Klinik, Mannheim
,
N Rotter
1   Universitätsmedizin Mannheim, HNO-Klinik, Mannheim
,
JU Sommer
1   Universitätsmedizin Mannheim, HNO-Klinik, Mannheim
,
R Birk
2   Universitätsklinikum Marburg, HNO-Klinik, Marburg
,
K Hörmann
1   Universitätsmedizin Mannheim, HNO-Klinik, Mannheim
,
BA Stuck
2   Universitätsklinikum Marburg, HNO-Klinik, Marburg
› Author Affiliations
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    Introduction:

    With a 12 month prevalence of 0,8%, cocaine is the second most commonly used illegal drug in Germany after cannabis. In 4,8% of cocaine users, nasal application leads to local damage including hyposmia, crusting, ulcers, nasal septal perforation and bone erosion. Locally, vasoconstriction, as well as mechanical and chemical trauma play a role by promoting bacterial infection and necrosis. Other systemic factors like osteoblast inhibition, immunosuppression and auto-antibody formation are suspected. By influencing ciliary function, local harmful factors could be potentiated.

    Methods:

    Samples of nasal epithelial cells were collected from 21 healthy subjects via brush cytology and transferred into cell culture solutions containing cocaine hydrochloride with a concentration of 0,875%, 1,75%, 3,5% and 7%. A solution with Ringer's lactate solution served as negative control.

    Epithelial cells were visualized via inverted phase contrast microscopy and ciliary beat frequency (CBF) was measured every minute by analyzing high speed videos over a time period of 15 min at 22 °C.

    Results:

    CBF was significantly reduced by exposure to cocaine hydrochloride compared to the control group in all tested concentrations. This reduction was time- and concentration dependent, for example CBF at a concentration of 1,75% fell from 7,3 ± 1,7 Hz to 2,84 ± 1,87 Hz after 15 minutes.

    Conclusions:

    A significant reduction of CBF of healthy nasal mucosa was shown by exposing them to cocaine hydrochloride. This may, besides other factors, explain the pathological effect of cocaine on nasal mucosa.


    #

    No conflict of interest has been declared by the author(s).

    Alexander Nastev
    Universitätsmedizin Mannheim, Klinik für Hals-Nase,
    Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1 – 3, 68167,
    Mannheim

    Publication History

    Publication Date:
    18 April 2018 (online)

    © 2018. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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