Mechanical washing with saline solution can play a role in attenuating air-pollution induced respiratory conditions (ID 367)

Parra MF, Novak P, Hagen M

GSK Consumer Healthcare

Funding: GSK Consumer Healthcare sponsored study

Abstract

Aim: Air pollution is one recognized risk factor for upper respiratory tract infections (URTI). Saline nasal washing has demonstrated efficacy as an adjuvant treatment for URTI symptoms. However, their effect on air-pollution induced respiratory conditions remains under-explored. We examined whether mechanical washing with saline solution improves the air-pollution induced deregulation of human nasal epithelial cells.

Method: In this invitro study, the human nasal epithelium co-cultured with human fibroblasts (MucilAirTM-HF) was exposed to repeated daily doses of Particle Mater (PM) pollutants- PM2.5-like Diesel particulate matter (DEP) or PM10-like Fine Dust (FD) for 5 days in the air-liquid interface (DEP/FD 30µl equivalent to 150 g/cm2 for 8 hours/day). Cytotoxicity (Lactate Dehydrogenase-LDH, Trans-Epithelial Electrical Resistance-TEER), airway epithelial functions (Cilia Beating Frequency-CBF, Mucociliary Clearance-MCC), and inflammatory biomarkers-Interleukin 8 (IL-8) and Amphiregulin were measured at different time points after pollutant exposure to assess the toxic effect. Nasal washing simulation 3-times a day for 5 days was done to determine the effects of DEP/FD on MucilAir™-HF in the presence of 0.9% saline wash off.

Results: Five days repeated dose exposure of DEP on MucilAirTM-HF induced toxic alterations in the epithelia (increased supernatant LDH and decreased TEER), increased inflammatory biomarkers, and decreased CBF. This effect was reversed, and nasal defense mechanisms were restored after mechanical washing with 0.9% saline solution. The release of IL-8 was reduced from 86% to 7%. The effects on MCC and Amphiregulin were less marked. FD induced only modest modifications on MucilAirTM-HF.

Conclusion: Mechanical washing of pollutants may revert DEP/FD toxic alterations by restoring the mucocilliary clearance (increasing the frequency of ciliary movements), maintaining tissue integrity, and lowering the concentration of inflammatory mediators in the nasal epithelium. These findings suggest nasal washing may have a role in restoring nasal epithelial functionality after pollution exposure. Further clinical research is needed to confirm these findings.

Conflicts of interest: Maria Fernanda Parra, Petr Novak and Martina Hagen are employees of GSK Consumer Healthcare.

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