[Observation of mucosa of eustachian tube with scanning electron microscope on spontaneous otitis media in mice].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the ultrastructural changes of the mucosa of eustachian tube in mice and to reveals the influence of eustachian tube on middle ear function and its relavence with otitis media.

METHOD: 12 wild type and 12 mutant mice were divided into two groups by age to observe the the ultrastructural changes of the mucosa of eustachian tube.

RESULT: Wild type mice exhibited a thick lawn of morphologically normal, distributed cilia in the mucosa of the middle ear at both time points. The cilia of mucosa of middle ear in mutant mice were short, impaired and disrupted. The impairment of the cilia progressed to a much great severity at 6 months compared to 3 months.

CONCLUSION

Otitis media occurs not only the ciliated cells decreased and the goblet cells increased. More importantly, the ciliary structure was damaged, leading to the dysfunction of the mucociliary transport system and causing otitis media.