Persistent inflammation and hyperresponsiveness following viral rhinosinusitis

OBJECTIVES: To develop a murine model of viral rhinosinusitis. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized, controlled, animal model. METHODS: Mice were intranasally inoculated with Sendai virus (SeV) or ultraviolet (UV)-inactivated virus. On days 3 and 10 postinfection, nasal lavage fluid was obtained for viral culture. On days 4, 10, and 38 postinfection, sinus mucosa was harvested and analyzed by flow cytometry for CD3-, CD4-, CD8-, CD25-, CD11b-, CCR3-, and GR1-positive cells. Nasal hyperresponsiveness to histamine challenge was measured on days 8 and 36 postinoculation. RESULTS: On day 3, viral cultures were positive from all SeV-inoculated mice but from none of the UV-inactivated mice (P