Intratympanic administration of dexamethasone attenuates radiation induced damage to middle ear mucosa
Abstract Radiotherapy (RTx) is a highly effective treatment for head and neck cancer that can cause concurrent damage to surrounding healthy tissues. In cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), the auditory apparatus is inevitably exposed to radiation fields and sustains considerable damage, resulti...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-87195-1 |
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| author | Hyuk Chan Kwon Sup Kim Sheng Jin Sun-Ae Shin Jeong Han Lee Min Jung Park Soo Jeong Kim Yong-Ho Park |
| author_facet | Hyuk Chan Kwon Sup Kim Sheng Jin Sun-Ae Shin Jeong Han Lee Min Jung Park Soo Jeong Kim Yong-Ho Park |
| author_sort | Hyuk Chan Kwon |
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| description | Abstract Radiotherapy (RTx) is a highly effective treatment for head and neck cancer that can cause concurrent damage to surrounding healthy tissues. In cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), the auditory apparatus is inevitably exposed to radiation fields and sustains considerable damage, resulting in dysfunction. To date, little research has been conducted on the changes induced by RTx in the middle ear and the underlying mechanisms involved. Dexamethasone (DEX) is widely used in clinical practice because of its immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory properties. The present study investigated the effects and underlying mechanisms of DEX delivered via intratympanic administration on RTx-induced damage to the middle ear and human middle ear epithelial (HMEE) cells. Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats were exposed to fractionated RTx (6.6 Gy/day for 5 days), and middle ear samples were collected at 1 and 4 months. Rats that received RTx presented a significant increase in the thickness of the submucosal layer in the middle ear and disorganization of the ciliated epithelium in the Eustachian tube (ET) mucosa. Importantly, intratympanic administration of DEX 30 min before RTx resulted in a lower degree of damage than that in the control group. Furthermore, DEX pretreatment downregulated the expression of cell death pathway markers in HMEE cells. Our collective results potentially support the use of DEX to reduce radiation-induced damage in the middle ear and may contribute to the development of future studies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-751941630a9c4c8b8e38cd20da62ba7d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
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| spelling | doaj-art-751941630a9c4c8b8e38cd20da62ba7d2025-01-26T12:26:46ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-01-011511910.1038/s41598-025-87195-1Intratympanic administration of dexamethasone attenuates radiation induced damage to middle ear mucosaHyuk Chan Kwon0Sup Kim1Sheng Jin2Sun-Ae Shin3Jeong Han Lee4Min Jung Park5Soo Jeong Kim6Yong-Ho Park7Department of Medical Science, College of Medicine, Chungnam National UniversityDepartment of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, Chungnam National UniversityDepartment of Medical Science, College of Medicine, Chungnam National UniversityBrain Research Institute, College of Medicine, Chungnam National UniversityDepartment of Translational Neurosciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine in PhoenixBrain Research Institute, College of Medicine, Chungnam National UniversityBrain Research Institute, College of Medicine, Chungnam National UniversityDepartment of Medical Science, College of Medicine, Chungnam National UniversityAbstract Radiotherapy (RTx) is a highly effective treatment for head and neck cancer that can cause concurrent damage to surrounding healthy tissues. In cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), the auditory apparatus is inevitably exposed to radiation fields and sustains considerable damage, resulting in dysfunction. To date, little research has been conducted on the changes induced by RTx in the middle ear and the underlying mechanisms involved. Dexamethasone (DEX) is widely used in clinical practice because of its immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory properties. The present study investigated the effects and underlying mechanisms of DEX delivered via intratympanic administration on RTx-induced damage to the middle ear and human middle ear epithelial (HMEE) cells. Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats were exposed to fractionated RTx (6.6 Gy/day for 5 days), and middle ear samples were collected at 1 and 4 months. Rats that received RTx presented a significant increase in the thickness of the submucosal layer in the middle ear and disorganization of the ciliated epithelium in the Eustachian tube (ET) mucosa. Importantly, intratympanic administration of DEX 30 min before RTx resulted in a lower degree of damage than that in the control group. Furthermore, DEX pretreatment downregulated the expression of cell death pathway markers in HMEE cells. Our collective results potentially support the use of DEX to reduce radiation-induced damage in the middle ear and may contribute to the development of future studies.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-87195-1RadiotherapyMiddle earEustachian tubeEpithelial cellsDexamethasoneIntratympanic injection |
| spellingShingle | Hyuk Chan Kwon Sup Kim Sheng Jin Sun-Ae Shin Jeong Han Lee Min Jung Park Soo Jeong Kim Yong-Ho Park Intratympanic administration of dexamethasone attenuates radiation induced damage to middle ear mucosa Scientific Reports Radiotherapy Middle ear Eustachian tube Epithelial cells Dexamethasone Intratympanic injection |
| title | Intratympanic administration of dexamethasone attenuates radiation induced damage to middle ear mucosa |
| title_full | Intratympanic administration of dexamethasone attenuates radiation induced damage to middle ear mucosa |
| title_fullStr | Intratympanic administration of dexamethasone attenuates radiation induced damage to middle ear mucosa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Intratympanic administration of dexamethasone attenuates radiation induced damage to middle ear mucosa |
| title_short | Intratympanic administration of dexamethasone attenuates radiation induced damage to middle ear mucosa |
| title_sort | intratympanic administration of dexamethasone attenuates radiation induced damage to middle ear mucosa |
| topic | Radiotherapy Middle ear Eustachian tube Epithelial cells Dexamethasone Intratympanic injection |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-87195-1 |
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