Influence of air flow on the morphofunctional state of the nasal mucosa in rabbits

The mucous membrane of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses is the first section of the respiratory tract interacting with inhaled air. To date, the impact of aerodynamic parameters of air flow on the morphofunctional characteristics of the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity remains insufficiently studied. Objective. To study the role of air flow impact on the formation of structural features of the nasal cavity mucosa of rabbits. Material and methods. The experiment involved 5 Pannon rabbits aged 1 month. During the study, morphometric characteristics of the mucosa of excluded from the breath half of the nose, which was sewn under the zoletil-xylazine anesthesia, were investigated. After 6, 9, 12 months, the rabbits were removed from the experiment. A polyclonal rabbit alpha-smooth muscle actin protein antibody was used to visualize the smooth muscle structure of the vessels, monoclonal mouse antibody against pancytokeratin protein — for a detailed characterization of the epithelial layer, mouse monoclonal antibody — for detection and visualization of cytotoxic T cells. Results. It has been established that in the non-breathing half of the nose, the thickness of the epithelium of the mucosa of the turbinates, septum of the nose and olfactory zone is much thinner. Furthermore, the number of vessels is significantly lower than in a normal one. In addition, due to the lack of air flow, the number of T cells increases, atrophy of the structures of the mucosa and changes in the functions of the glands are observed. Conclusion. Disruption of aerodynamics in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses creates conditions for structural reorganization of the mucous membrane and formation of various phenotypes of inflammation.