The Mechanism of Development of Nasal Mucosal Swelling in Nasal Allergy

Abstract

Neural reflex via local and/or central reflexive pathway is only partially involved in development of vascular dilatation and vascular leakage in the nasal mucosa in subjects with nasal allergy. In the pale and edematous nasal mucosa interstitial edema is dominant and blood flow measured by lasor-Doppler flowmetry is markedly decreased. The capacitance vessel in the edematous nasal mucosa responds poorly to sympathetic stimulation. The marked swelling of the nasal mucosa observed in subjects with nasal allergy is largely caused by the direct effects of a large variety of chemical mediators, such as peptide leukotriens, histamine and PAF, the most important of which is peptide leukotriens, on the nasal vasculature. These chemical mediators interacts among themselves to accentuate their effects on the target organs of the nasal mucosa. The increasing availability of specific receptor antagonists is allowing us to evaluate the role of these chemical mediators in nasal allergy. © 1996, The Japan Society of Logopedics and Phoniatrics. All rights reserved.