The effect of different preparations of nasal decongestants on ciliary beat frequency in vitro.

Ciliated cells from the nasal mucosa of normal persons were collected in culture medium and exposed to either oxymetazoline without preservatives, oxymetazoline with preservatives, xylometazoline with preservatives, or sham (culture medium). There was a significant decrease in ciliary beat frequency only by the two drugs with preservatives after 20 min. After substitution of the test media with culture medium ciliary action did not recover in any group.