TNF and mucoepidermoid carcinoma: In the present study, to demonstrate the effects of AZM on mucus secretion from airway epithelial cells, we evaluated (1) the in vivo effects of AZM on antigen-induced and LPS-induced mucus production in rat nasal epithelium, and (2) the in vitro effects on tumor necrosis factor-α- (TNF-α-) induced mucus secretion from human mucoepidermoid carcinoma cells (NCI-H292 cells) and from human nasal epithelial cells cultured in air-liquid interface.