Exp Mol Med.  2007 Jun;39(3):343-352.

TACI:Fc scavenging B cell activating factor (BAFF) alleviates ovalbumin-induced bronchial asthma in mice

• Moon EY
• Ryu SK

Abstract

Asthma was induced by the sensitization and challenge with ovalbumin (OVA) in mice. B-cell activating factor (BAFF) plays a role in mature B cell generation and maintenance. Here, we investigated whether, BAFF expression was changed in OVA-induced mice and whether the control of BAFF expression level alleviates the symptom of bronchial asthma. BAFF expression was detected in alveolar-associated cells surrounding bronchi of OVA-induced mouse lung tissues. BAFF protein was also increased in OVA-induced mouse serum. The increased BAFF transcripts was detected in OVA-induced mouse splenocytes. OVA-induced asthma was associated with the increased number of eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). When TACI:Fc scavenging soluble BAFF was injected to OVA-induced mice, a significant inhibition was detected in the thickness of airway smooth muscle and glycol-containing cellular elements in airway that were visualized by hematoxylin/eosin Y and periodic acid-Schiff staining, respectively. In addition, when mice were treated with TACI:Fc protein, BAFF protein level was decreased in alveolar-associated cells surrounding bronchi of OVA-induced mouse lung tissues compared to control mice. When compared to OVA-induced control, TACI:Fc treatment reduced the percentage of non-lymphoid cells and no changes were detected in lymphoid cell population. Hypodiploid cell formation in BALF was decreased by OVA-challenge but it was recovered by TACI:Fc treatment. Collectively, data suggest that asthmatic symptom could be alleviated by scavenging BAFF and then BAFF could be a novel target for the develpoment of anti-asthmatic agents.

Keyword

asthma; B-cell activating factor; ovalbumin; transmembrane activator and CAML interactor protein

MeSH Terms

Animals
Apoptosis
Asthma/chemically induced/*drug therapy/immunology
B-Cell Activating Factor/*biosynthesis
Bronchi/metabolism/pathology
Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid/cytology
Eosinophils/pathology
Female
Humans
Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments/*genetics
Immunoglobulin G/*genetics
Lymphocytes/pathology
Mice
Mice, Inbred BALB C
*Ovalbumin
Pulmonary Alveoli/metabolism
Recombinant Fusion Proteins/genetics/*therapeutic use
Spleen/metabolism
Transmembrane Activator and CAML Interactor Protein/*genetics