Abstract
Sairei-to is clinically useful in the treatment of otitis media with effusion (OME). Recent experimental studies have demonstrated that ciliary activity in the middle ear close to the tympanic orifice plays an important role in the clearance of the tubotympanum. The present study was designed to clarify the effect of Sairei-to on the ciliary activity in the tubotympanum. The middle ear mucosa close to the tympanic orifice was sampled from guinea pigs (average weight: 200g), and the ciliary activity was measured photoelectrically in an RPMI 1640.
Then the medium was replaced with a medium containing various concentrations of Sairei-to or Sho-Saiko-to. Our results demonstrated that both drugs enhanced ciliary activity and that ciliary activity could not be reduced in the presence of a relatively high concentration of Sairei-to. In conclusion, Sairei-to enhances tubotympanic clearance, and the clinical use of this drug should be beneficial in the treatment of patients otitis media with effusion.
