The Effect of Adipose Tissue on Atrophic Rhinitis: An Animal Model

Abstract

Objectives:

Investigate the histopathological effects of fat grafting harvested from lipoaspirate adipose tissue on atrophic rhinitis in an animal model.

Methods:

An animal model of atrophic rhinitis was obtained by application of pasturella multocida toxin diluted with 0.9% NaCl into nasal cavities for 3 weeks. Eleven Wistar Hanover rats were included in this study and divided into 2 groups. The study group was composed of one side of nasal cavity with atrophic rhinitis. The fat grafting harvested from lipoaspirate adipose tissue was applied into nasal cavity submucosally. After 2 weeks of follow-up, rats were decapitated and nasal cavities were resected totally. A histopathological examination was done.

Results:

There was a significant improvement in the study group compared with other groups according to basal membrane degeneration and glandular atrophy. The vacuolar degeneration, squamous metaplasia, keratinization, vascular proliferation, inflammatory infiltration, and congestion were not significantly different between groups.

Conclusions:

Our study showed that fat grafting harvested from lipoaspirate adipose tissue has a positive healing effect over degenerated mucosa on atrophic rhinitis, in addition to the volume enhancer effect of tissue itself. The adipose tissue may normalize the volume of large nasal cavities caused by atrophic rhinitis. In addition, histopathological disorders of atrophic rhinitis, such as glandular atrophy and basal membrane degeneration, are reversed significantly.