Abstract
It is well known from in vitro studies that the function of the ciliary epithelium is temperature dependent. The ciliary beat is irreversibly arrested above about 40° to 45°C. We exposed 30 volunteers to inhalation therapy with hot moist vapor of about 50°C. The function of the nasal mucosa was assessed. Ciliary beat frequency and the percentage of dead and viable ciliated cells from a viable cytological sampling of the nose were counted before and after treatment. The percentage of cell composition was the same whereas the ciliary beat frequency rose. The temperature in the mucosal layer probably is not as high as in the inhaled vapor due to the air-conditioning capacity of the nose, and thus the ciliated cells seem to be protected from adverse effects that might result from high temperatures in inhaled gases.
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