Objectives: The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of zinc aspartate on myringosclerosis in perforated rat tympanic membrane.
Patients and methods: Fifteen Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups each containing five rats. Automicroscopic examinations were performed and then all rats were bilaterally myringotomized. Group 1 received no treatment. Group 2 was treated with intraperitoneal injection of physiological saline and group 3 with intraperitoneal injection of zinc aspartate. Tympanic bullas were harvested after 20 days. Histopathological evaluation was carried out under the light microscope.
Results: When the groups were compared in the light of the myringosclerotic findings, while there was no significant difference between group 1 and 2 (p=1.00), it was found that there were significant differences between group 1 and 3, and between group 2 and 3 (p<0.03).
Conclusion: It appears that zinc aspartat treatment has beneficial effects on prevention or retardation of the development of myringosclerosis, but further studies are needed to clarify this effect.