Abstract
To investigate the effect of Clarithromycin on the sinus mucosa, the mucosal specimens whichwere obtained from the ethmoid sinuses of patients suffering from chronic sinusitis was tested in vitro. Clarithromycin was dissolved in RPMI 1640 at concentrations of 1mg/ml, 5mg/ml and 10mg/ml, and exposed to the mucosal specimens in a tissue culture form at 37°C and under humidified 5% CO2 in a chamber equipped with a phase-contrast microscope and a video camera. The mucosal surface profile was observed and ciliary activity was photo-electrically measured. Clarithromycin significantly promoted ciliary activity at all tested concentrations, while the culture medium did not affect the mucosal specimens during a 3 hours observation period. Clarithromycin did not induce mucosal surface alterations.
