Effect of Oxymetazoline on Healthy Human Nasal Ciliary Beat Frequency Measured with High-Speed Digital Microscopy and Mucociliary Transport Time

Abstract

Objectives

We investigated the effects of oxymetazoline hydrochloride on the regulation of healthy human nasal ciliary beat frequency (CBF) and its influence on nasal mucociliary transport time (MTT).

Methods

Changes in (cultured) human nasal CBF in response to increasing concentrations of oxymetazoline within 20 minutes were quantified by use of high-speed digital microscopy. Moreover, the MTT before and after application of 0.05% oxymetazoline was determined by use of the saccharin test.

Results

Whereas no statistically significant difference was identified when compared to basal CBF at the concentration of 0.025% or 0.05%, both 0.10% and 0.20% oxymetazoline induced a significantly lower CBF at the end of the observation period. The decrement induced by 0.20% oxymetazoline appeared earlier. At concentrations ranging from 0.025% to 0.20%, the inhibitory effect was dependent on the concentration of oxymetazoline. In addition, the use of 0.05% oxymetazoline increased the mean (±SD) human nasal MTT from 474 ± 21 seconds to 572 ± 41 seconds (n = 29).

Conclusions

The clinical concentration of oxymetazoline, 0.05%, has no obvious inhibitory effect on human nasal CBF in vitro. The increased MTT caused by 0.05% oxymetazoline in vivo is within the normal range.