Active ion secretion and permeability of rabbit maxillary sinus epithelium, impact of staphylococcal enterotoxin B.

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), a model superantigen, on the physiologic functions of rabbit maxillary sinus epithelium. Rabbit sinus mucosae were separated under a surgical microscope and mounted in Ussing chambers to record short-circuit current, conductance, and permeability to horseradish peroxidase. The results showed that SEB evoked increases in sinus epithelial cell baseline short-circuit current, conductance, and permeability to horseradish peroxidase. When tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) was added to the Ussing chambers, we got results similar to those obtained by SEB stimulation in vitro; the effects of SEB on sinus epithelial cells could be blocked by pretreatment with anti-TNF-alpha antibody. These results demonstrate that SEB is able to alter the function of sinus epithelial cells and to affect the capability of the epithelial defensive barrier, which may be mediated by TNF-alpha.