TREATMENT OF EXPERIMENTAL ACUTE OTITIS-MEDIA WITH IBUPROFEN AND AMPICILLIN

The efficacy of concurrent treatment of experimental acute otitis medi a with ibuprofen and ampicillin was evaluated in chinchillas with resp ect to clearance of the effusion and resolution of mucosal inflammatio n. Sixty-four chinchillas were infected with Streptococcus pneumoniae and randomly assigned to treatment with either IM ampicillin (control) or ampicillin plus ibuprofen (experimental) beginning on day 2 post i noculation. On days 3, 6, 9 and 12, 8 animals from each group were kil led, effusions recovered for biochemical assay and the right middle ea rs prepared for histological study. Between group differences in the n umber of ears with effusion and effusion volume were not statistically significant. Mucosal thickness and the frequencies of ears with histo pathological signs of inflammation were significantly less in the expe rimental group when compared to the control group. Differences in the effusion concentrations of total protease, 3 of 4 hydrolytic enzymes a nd free fatty acids favoring the experimental group were observed at t he 6, 9 and 12 day endpoints. Also, at those times the levels of the 3 measured products of the cyclooxygenase pathway were less in the expe rimental group. These results suggest that the addition of ibuprofen t o ampicillin for the treatment of acute otitis media decreases product ion of select eicosonoids, reduces mucosal inflammation and alters the course of the disease in this model of bacterial infection.