부산대학교 도서관

Objective: The aim of this study was to demonstrate the effect of probiotics in the treatment and prevention of experimental otitis media with effusion. Methods: Twenty-four albino Wistar rats were used and randomized into four groups. Rats were injected with intratympanic histamine solution to create experimental otitis media with effusion. The presence of effusion was confirmed by otomicroscopic examination 24 hours after the injections. Group 1 (control group) did not receive any treatment. Group 2 (treatment group) received probiotics for seven days from the day effusion was identified, Group 3 (prophylaxis group) received probiotics for seven days prior to intratympanic histamine injection, Group 4 (prophylaxis + treatment group) received probiotics for seven days prior to intratympanic injection and for seven days from the day effusion was identified. All rats were sacrificed on the 8th day after effusion was identified. Tympanic membranes were examined under otomicroscopy to assess the levels of effusion. Histopathologic evaluation was performed for identifying the neutrophil leukocyte counts at 25 sites of the samples prepared from the submucosa of temporal bullae. Results: In otomicroscopic evaluation, the rate of effusion recovery was found 10% in Group 1, 25% in Group 2, 50% in Group 3, and 100% in Group 4 (p<0.013). In the 25 sampled sites of the temporal bullae submucosa, mean neutrophil leukocyte counts were 86.8±24 in Group 1, 66.5±21 in Group 2, 66.2±16 in Group 3, and 26.3±6.5 in Group 4 (p<0.001). Conclusion: Probiotics have positive effects on the prevention and treatment of otitis media with effusion. This effect may be associated with the anti-inflammatory properties of probiotics. Probiotics can be used as a nutritional supplement for complementary therapy in the at-risk age group for otitis media with effusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]