A Novel Bionebulizer Approach to Study the Effects of Natural Mineral Water on a 3D In Vitro Nasal Model from Allergic Rhinitis Patients

• Published in: Biomedicines Vol. 12; no. 2; p. 408
• Main Authors: Viegas, Joana, Cardoso, Elsa M, Bonneau, Lucile, Esteves, Ana Filipa, Ferreira, Catarina L, Alves, Gilberto, Santos-Silva, António Jorge, Vitale, Marco, Arosa, Fernando A, Taborda-Barata, Luís
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.02.2024
• Subjects: Aerosols; air–liquid interface; Allergens; Allergic rhinitis; Allergies; B cells; Cell culture; Chemokines; chronic rhinitis; Cytokines; Disease; Electrical resistivity; Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Enzymes; Epithelial cells; Epithelium; Ethical aspects; Fibroblasts; Hay fever; histology; Inflammation; Ligands; Mineral water; Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1; MucilAirTM; Pathophysiology; Proteins; Rhinitis; Sodium chloride; Statistical analysis; Portugal; Switzerland; air–liquid interface; MucilAirTM; histology; TEER; cytokines; chronic rhinitis; chemokines; nebulizations; sulfurous thermal water; Vitrocell
• ISSN: 2227-9059; 2227-9059
• DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12020408

Sulfurous thermal waters (STWs) are used as a complementary treatment for allergic rhinitis. However, there is scant data on the effects of STW on nasal epithelial cells, and in vitro models are warranted. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the dose and time effects of exposure to 3D nasal inserts (MucilAir -HF allergic rhinitis model) with STW or isotonic sodium chloride solution (ISCS) aerosols. Transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and histology were assessed before and after nebulizations. Chemokine/cytokine levels in the basal supernatants were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results showed that more than four daily nebulizations of four or more minutes compromised the normal epithelial integrity. In contrast, 1 or 2 min of STW or ISCS nebulizations had no toxic effect up to 3 days. No statistically significant changes in release of inflammatory chemokines MCP-1/CCL2 > IL-8/CXCL8 > MIP-1α/CCL3, no meaningful release of "alarmins" (IL-1α, IL-33), nor of anti-inflammatory IL-10 cytokine were observed. We have characterized safe time and dose conditions for aerosol nebulizations using a novel in vitro 3D nasal epithelium model of allergic rhinitis patients. This may be a suitable in vitro setup to mimic in vivo treatments of chronic rhinitis with STW upon triggering an inflammatory stimulus in the future.