Although immunotherapy is recognized as a highly effective form of treatment for allergic rhinitis, especially pollen-induced seasonal allergic rhinitis, the mechanisms have not been fully established. In the present study, we investigated whether immunotherapy could affect the seasonal increase in interleukin-5 (IL-5) in the serum of patients with seasonal allergic ...

Studies of the nasal permeation of small molecules (< 1000 Da) have yielded important information about the integrity of the human airway mucosa in health and disease. In this study, we used a much larger tracer molecule, polysucrose (PS) 15,000 (approx. 14,700 Da), to predict the mucosal permeation of inhalational ...

A role of prostaglandins (PGs) and leukotrienes (LTs) in the pathogenesis of nasal polyps has been recently suggested. Cyclooxygenase (CO) products (thromboxane B2, PGE2 and 6-keto PGF1 alpha) and lipoxygenase (LO) products (LTB4 and LTC4) were investigated by radioimmunoassay in polyps, hypertrophic turbinates and nasal mucosa from 14 patients with ...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the range of multiple swallowing in normal subjects by ultrasonography. METHODS: Twenty-two normal subjects swallowed 5 or 10 ml of tap water or a semisolid meal. RESULTS: With water multiple swallows were seen in 41% of the subjects examined and was related to the volume of the ...

The cytokine interleukin 8 (IL-8) has been shown to be a potent mediator of leukocyte recruitment and neovascularization in inflammatory and neoplastic diseases. In this study we hypothesize that IL-8 produced in the nasal polyp microenvironment is responsible for the leukocyte recruitment seen in nasal polyposis. To test this hypothesis ...

In order to examine the origin and role of nitric oxide (NO) in exhaled air during exercise, exhaled NO outputs of 8 healthy human subjects were compared using different breathing methods, through the mouth or nose, at two intensities of bicycle exercise. The concentration of NO in the exhaled air ...

AIMS: There is some evidence that monitoring methadone plasma concentration may be of benefit in dosage adjustment during methadone maintenance therapy for heroin (opiate) dependence. However, the kinetics of oral methadone are incompletely characterized. We attempted to describe the latter using a population approach combining intensive 57 h sampling data ...

Factors affecting worker tolerance of respiratory personal protective devices are inadequately understood. This study evaluates whether respirator-type loads affected the switch from nasal to oral breathing. Eleven healthy subjects were studied under progressive exercise conditions, using a respirator full-face mask with inspiratory resistance (I), pressure breathing (P) (10 cm H2O ...

We examined the effects of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on exercise performance in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Six patients were treated with nasal CPAP on seven successive days and underwent overnight sleep studies and multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) at the beginning and after the last ...

BACKGROUND: Nasal immunotherapy with single allergen extracts, following premedication with cromolyn, has been reported to be effective in treating seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis. METHODS: We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled study to assess the efficacy, tolerability, and mechanism of action of nasal immunotherapy for allergic rhinitis caused by weed pollens ...

The Breathe Right nasal strips are more and more commonly used, mainly by athletes, who hope to enhance their physical performance in competition and training. The effect of the device in such situations is uncertain and perhaps somewhat controversial. To investigate the effects of the nasal strips on nasal ventilation, ...

An external nasal dilator (Breathe Right, CNS, Inc., Bloomington, MN) has become popular with athletes. The dilator is an adhesive band with a central elastic strip. When applied across the nasal valve, the device theoretically increases nasal valve area. We used acoustic rhinometry (Hood Laboratories, Pembroke, MA) to measure the ...

In order to improve nasal breathing during competition, many athletes recently have been wearing a spring-loaded, external nasal dilator referred to as the Breathe-Right device (BRD). Although there are many subjective claims that this device improves breathing during exercise, there are currently no controlled studies documenting its efficacy. To determine ...

Inhalation of swine confinement dust containing endotoxin causes an inflammatory response in the nose as reflected by an influx of neutrophils 3 hrs after exposure (Am J Respir Crit Care Med 149: A401(1994)). As there is evidence that nitric oxide (NO) in exhaled air indicates cellular activation, we studied whether ...

It is now over 100 years since Kayser (Archiv für Laryngol Rhinol 1895; 3: 101-120) first reported in the scientific literature that the human nasal passages exhibit spontaneous changes in unilateral nasal airway resistance, yet our understanding of this unusual phenomenon is still very confused. Spontaneous, reciprocal changes in unilateral ...

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is co-localized with noradrenaline (NA) in perivascular sympathetic nerve and is a vasoconstrictor. Pre-treatment with exogenous NPY markedly reduced nasal airway obstruction and rhinorrhea induced by the irritant capsaicin in control subjects. The aim of the present experiments was to study the time course variations of plasma ...

The production of nasal fluids serves an important role in the protection of the upper respiratory system, but can also be a troublesome symptom of rhinitis. The chief sources of nasal fluids are serous and mucous glandular secretion, epithelial goblet cell exocytosis, and exudation from submucosal blood vessels. This study ...

A novel animal model for studying antibiotic transfer across gastric mucosa was developed by using adult rats. Gastric corpus mucosa was mounted in an Ussing chamber system and bathed in oxygenated Krebs solution. Metronidazole flux from serosa to mucosa (J(S-->M)) was measured over 60 min under basal conditions and compared ...

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is associated with impaired ion transport across epithelial membranes and an increased transepithelial potential difference (PD) that can be measured in airway epithelium. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of nasal PD in CF, and to test a modified approach to the ...

BACKGROUND/AIM: This study addresses cholecystokinin (CCK)-receptor alterations in stone-diseased and stone-free human gallbladders using different CCK-fragments. METHODS: Serosa-free muscle strips were mounted in a modified Krebs-Henseleit-solution of 37 degrees C and aerated with carbogen. The following concentrations of CCK-fragments (CCK 26-33, N-Acetyl CCK 27-33 sulf., CCK 26-29 sulf., CCK 25-33 ...

Oxygen therapy improves submaximal exercise tolerance in hypoxemic patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study compared the standard nasal cannula, reservoir nasal cannula, and a demand flow device in 15 male hypoxemic patients with COPD. On six separate occasions each subject used, in a randomized order, all three ...

The purpose of this study was to determine the orogastric transit time of standard 131I capsules and the incidence of transit delay. METHODS: We studied 58 consecutive subjects receiving outpatient diagnostic and therapeutic 131I dosages. A standard ion chamber survey meter, placed over the left upper quadrant of the abdomen, ...

The route of breathing, oral or nasal, is a determinant of the doses of inhaled pollutants delivered to target sites in the upper and lower respiratory tracts. We measured partitioning of ventilation, using a divided oronasal mask during a submaximal exercise test, in 37 male and female subjects who ranged ...

Studying the inflammatory response that follows the early response to nasal challenge with antigen provides a better understanding of allergic rhinitis than just studying the immediate (early) response. Nine allergic volunteers were challenged unilaterally with antigen-containing discs, and bilateral changes in physiologic responses as well as in the concentration of ...

The characteristics of airflow (pressure loss and entry loss factor) were measured around a circular slot hood for its application to a local exhaust system. Centerline velocity, defined as the ratio of air velocity on the centerline of the slot hood to average slot face velocity, was found to be ...

There have been a number of anecdotal reports of rhinitis and nasal obstruction occurring at altitude. To quantify these reports, we investigated nasal obstruction and mucociliary transport in a group of healthy volunteers trekking to Mount Everest Base Camp, Nepal, altitude 5,300 m. Nasal obstruction was estimated by subjective scoring ...

A continuous production of nitric oxide (NO) takes place in human nasal airways. NO in the nasal airways is mainly derived from the paranasal sinuses. The factors that regulate NO synthesis in the upper airways are presently not known. We have investigated the effects of physical exercise on NO levels ...

The ability of the nasal mucosa to produce various cytokines has been shown to correlate closely with the capacity to regulate an inflammatory condition in the nasal cavity. Immune senescence is characterized by a dysregulation of the immune system. This change is reflected by the altered production of cytokines during ...

This paper gives an overview of placebo-controlled studies of the effect of corticosteroid treatment on nasal blockage, based on objective measurements of nasal airway patency. A few studies of perennial rhinitis have indicated that pretreatment with an intranasal corticosteroid has a moderate effect on nasal hyperresponsiveness, measured as the histamine-induced ...

The vasodilator gas nitric oxide (NO) is produced in the paranasal sinuses and is excreted continuously into the nasal airways of humans. This NO will normally reach the lungs with inspiration, especially during nasal breathing. We wanted to investigate the possible effects of low-dose inhalation of NO from the nasal ...

Administration of oral metoclopramide reduces the transit time for barium to reach the caecum during a small bowel meal (SBM). Current practice is to administer the metoclopramide 5-10 min prior to the barium. We devised a prospective randomized, controlled trial to assess whether administration of metoclopramide 90 min prior to ...

A case of occupational bronchial asthma due to morphine in a nonatopic 46-year-old woman is presented. The following diagnostic tests were used: a workplace trial with bronchodilator and placebo, and single-blind, placebo-controlled nasal and bronchial challenge with 0.5% morphine HCl. For the nasal challenge, four asthmatic patients were selected as ...

Barrett's esophagus is a medical condition in which the squamous mucosa that normally lines the distal esophagus is replaced by a columnar type of epithelium. Most definitions that have been used for inclusion of patients in studies have indicated that columnar mucosa must extend 3 cm or more above the ...

The progestogen-only pill (POP), minipill, is quite an effective second line contraceptive. Despite this, it is used relatively infrequently except during lactation. The main reason for this is that women on POP often have abnormal bleeding patterns, with an increased frequency of bleeding, lengthened cycles, breakthrough bleeding, spotting and prolonged ...

Overnight smoking abstinence increases desire to smoke and intensity of smoking behavior in smokers, but it is not completely clear that this reflects an increase in reinforcement from the psychoactive effects of nicotine per se. We examined choice of nicotine vs. placebo via nasal spray (Study 1) and nicotine vs. ...

Clinical audit revealed that the treatment of oral candidosis was more successful with nystatin pastilles than with nystatin suspension. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the reasons for this observation. The concentration of nystatin needed to kill 49 consecutive clinical isolates of Candida albicans was measured. The isolates ...

Information on solid particle movement through the pharynx, in addition to its physiologic importance, has relevance to the swallowing of medications in pill form. The purpose of this study was to determine the kinematics of a solid particle during the oral-pharyngeal phase of swallowing. We used a concurrent manometric-videofluoroscopic technique ...

PURPOSE: We provide guidelines of penile length and circumference to assist in counseling patients considering penile augmentation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively measured flaccid and erect penile dimensions in 80 physically normal men before and after pharmacological erection. RESULTS: Mean flaccid length was 8.8 cm., stretched length 12.4 cm. and ...

Nasal congestion, dry nose and throat, and sore throat affect approximately 40% of patients using nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). The mechanisms causing nasal symptoms are unclear, but mouth leaks causing high unidirectional nasal airflow may be important. We conducted a study to investigate the effects of mouth leak ...

Bilateral olfactory bulbectomy (BX) or bilateral transection of the rostral lateral olfactory tract (LOT) at the level of the anterior olfactory nucleus markedly increases gonadotropin secretion and prevents the testicular regression associated with maintenance on short photoperiod in golden hamsters. In an effort to further elucidate the neural tracts involved ...

Polymer networks that can serve as model systems for dental applications were prepared by photopolymerizations of 1,1,1-trimethylolpropane triacrylate, 1,1,1-trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate, 1,1,1-trimethylolethane trimethacrylate, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, triethylene glycol dimethacrylate, Photomer 2028 and Photomer 3015. The UV polymerizations were initiated by 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenyl-acetophenone. Volume shrinkage was followed over the course of polymerization using ...

To define the site of release and factors modulating exhaled nitric oxide (NO) during exercise in humans, we measured exhaled NO output during exercise, during exercise after balloon occlusion of the nasopharynx (to exclude nasal NO), and at rest with isocapneic hyperventilation or dobutamine infusion. Exhaled NO output increased from ...

Our primary aim was to determine whether reducing the activity of nasal airway receptors would influence drive to the nasal dilator muscles (NDMs) during exercise. We used lidocaine (2%) or nasal splints to diminish afferent airway receptor activity and measured the electromyogram (EMG) activity of the NDMs during incremental bicycle ...

An animal model has been devised to allow trainees in nasal and sinus endoscopy to develop basic instrument handling and psychomotor skills, without risk to patients. The sheep's head obtained from the abattoir was modified slightly to simulate more closely the human situation. The model permits nasendoscopy, foreign body removal, ...

In order to study the pathophysiology of allergic airway disease and its response to pharmacotherapy, allergic and non-allergic provocation challenge techniques can be employed. Lower airway challenge has been used widely, but the use of nasal challenge is becoming more widespread as its advantages are realized. New measurement techniques are ...

Nystagmus produced by static placement of the head in different orientations is termed positional nystagmus and is known to occur in human subjects who are free of vestibular symptoms. This study provides quantitative data for horizontal positional nystagmus occurrence in 49 normal human subjects, in whom the number of nystagmus ...

Although most cigarette smokers exhibit signs of tobacco dependence, a subset of this population, referred to as tobacco chippers, does not show characteristic signs of dependence. Few studies have attempted to characterize differences between these groups of smokers. The purpose of the present study was to examine smoking topography in ...

Two methods for decongestion of the nasal mucosa were compared, a conventional nasal spray and a bellows device, the reproducibility of rhinomanometric measurements being investigated in both cases. Nasal airway resistance (NAR) was measured in 18 patients (during late autumn) before, 10 min, and 20 min after decongestion with an ...

The nasal output of nitric oxide (NO) is known to be high, but there have been varying reports of the exact level. We attempted to establish a quantitative measurement of nasal NO, and looked for a possible relationship with nasal resistance, at rest and during exercise. Nasal airway ventilation was ...

We evaluated four nasal cannulae used to deliver oxygen and measure PETC02 in a non-tracheally intubated, healthy population. The effect of various oxygen flow rates on PETC02 and respiratory rate (RR), as well as the cost and relative patient comfort of the cannulae, was compared. In this controlled study, 20 ...