Korean J Asthma Allergy Clin Immunol.  2008 Jun;28(2):121-127.

Effects of Dehydroepiandrosterone on the Schultz-Dale Reaction and the Th2 Immune Response in Sensitized BALB/c Mice

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) increases the production of interferon (IFN)-gamma, and IFN-gamma suppresses the Th2 response.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether DHEA suppresses the in vitro allergen-induced response of airway muscles. METHOD: Female BALB/c mice were fed mouse chow containing 0, 0.001, 0.01 or 0.1% DHEA during the study period. The animals were sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA), and then the Schultz-Dale reaction to 50microgram/ml OVA, serum OVA-specific IgE concentration and cytokine production by cultured splenocytes were measured. RESULT: OVA-sensitized mice (n=20) developed a Schultz- Dale reaction, had significantly high concentrations of IgE and IL-5 and a significantly low IFN-gamma/IL-5 ratio compared to the controls (n=20). The treatment with 0.1% DHEA significantly decreased the IL-5 level (123 vs. 54 pg/ml, P<0.001) and tended to increase the IFN-gamma/IL-5 ratio (2.2+/-0.3 vs. 3.7+/-0.7, P=0.09), but did not suppress the Schultz-Dale reaction and IgE levels. The contractile responses of muscles to OVA were significantly related to OVA-specific IgE levels (r=0.446, P<0.001) and the IFN-gamma/IL-5 ratio (r=-0.427, P<0.001).
CONCLUSION
DHEA did not suppress the Schultz-Dale reaction or the OVA-specific IgE production despite a significant suppression in the Th2 response in mice.

MeSH Terms

Animals
Asthma
Dehydroepiandrosterone
Female
Humans
Immunoglobulin E
Interferons
Interleukin-5
Mice
Muscles
Ovalbumin
Ovum
Dehydroepiandrosterone
Immunoglobulin E
Interferons
Interleukin-5
Ovalbumin