Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of a soluble human tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) receptor blocker (etanercept) on an inducible olfactory inflammation (IOI) mouse model. STUDY DESIGN: An in vivo study using a transgenic mouse model. SETTING: Research laboratory. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: To study the impact of chronic inflammation on the olfactory system, a transgenic mouse model of chronic rhinosinusitis-associated olfactory loss was utilized (IOI mouse), expressing TNF-α in a temporally controlled fashion within the olfactory epithelium. In one group of mice (n = 4), etanercept was injected intraperitoneally (100 μg/dose, 3 times/week) concurrent with a 2-week period of TNF-α expression. A second group of mice (n = 2) underwent induction of TNF-α expression for 8 weeks, with etanercept treatment administered during the final 2 weeks of inflammation. Olfactory function was assayed by elecro-olfactogram (EOG), and olfactory tissue was processed for histology and immunohistochemical staining. Each group was compared with an equal-number control group. RESULTS: Compared with nontreated IOI mice, etanercept-treated IOI mice showed significantly improved EOG responses after 2 weeks (P < .001). After 8 weeks of induced inflammation, there was massive loss of olfactory epithelium and no EOG response in nontreated IOI mice. However, in etanercept-treated mice, regeneration of olfactory epithelium was observed. CONCLUSION: Concomitant administration of etanercept in IOI mice results in interruption of TNF-α-induced olfactory loss and induction of neuroepithelial regeneration. This demonstrates that etanercept has potential utility as a tool for elucidating the role of TNF-α in other olfactory inflammation models.