Decompression effects of erythritol on endolymphatic hydrops.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The effect of the uptake of erythritol with and without the addition of pectin on fecal condition, p-OSM and p-AVP levels, and the endolymphatic volume was investigated to consider the possibility that erythritol is applicable as a therapeutic agent for Meniere's disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two experiments were performed using 100 female Hartley guinea pigs. Experiment 1 was designed to morphologically investigate the influence of the uptake of erythritol with or without the addition of pectin on the endolymphatic volume. Experiment 2 was designed to investigate changes in p-OSM and p-AVP levels after the uptake of erythritol with or without the addition of pectin. RESULTS: (1) Endolymphatic hydrops significantly decreased after the uptake of a mixture of erythritol and pectin, but did not decrease after the uptake of pectin or erythritol (p<0.001). (2) The fecal condition was muddy in all animals with the uptake of erythritol alone, but muddy or very soft feces were not observed in animals with a mixture of pectin and erythritol. p-AVP and p-OSM levels were significantly elevated in animals with the uptake of erythritol alone or a mixture of erythritol and pectin. Notably, the increase in p-AVP and p-OSM levels was significantly more evident in animals with the uptake of erythritol alone (one-way ANOVA, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The addition of pectin almost completely suppressed erythritol-induced diarrhea. Consequently, the secondary elevation of p-AVP and p-OSM due to diarrhea was also reduced. The uptake of a mixture of erythritol and pectin markedly decompressed endolymphatic hydrops, although the uptake of erythritol alone did not. The difference of the decompression effect between animal groups with the uptake of erythritol alone and a mixture of erythritol and pectin seemed to be attributable to the difference of p-AVP levels due to diarrheal state.