Tuberc Respir Dis.
2000 Jan;48(1):33-44.
Airway Inflammation and Responses in the Bronchial Asthma Model in Sprague-Dawley Rats Sensitized by Ovalbumin
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Internal Medicine, Eul-Ji Medical College, Taejon, Korea.
- 2Department of Internal Medicine, Chung-Ang University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Abstract
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BACKGROUND: To evaluate airway responses and inflammation to antigen in
Sprague-Dawley rat asthma model, we examined airway responses, serial
histologic changes of the lung, and the relationship between airway
responses and airway inflammation after antigen airway challenge.
METHODS
Sprague-Dawley rats were sensitized with subcutaneous injection
of 10 microgram ovalbumin(OA). Antigen airway challenges were done 14 ~16 days
after sensitization and the sensitized rats were sacrificed 1h(AE),
6 ~8h(AL) and 1day(AD) after airway challenge, to examine the histologic
changes of the lung. Airway responses were measured by body plethysmograph
and recorded by enhanced pause(Penh) as an index of airway obstruction
6 ~8h after antigen challenges. Nonsensitized controls(10 rats) were
also challenged with antigen and sacrificed 1 day later. Histopathologic
examination of two trachea, large bronchi, small bronchi, and vessels was
performed to evaluate the severity of inflammation and eosinophilic infiltration
with H&E stain.
RESULTS
In 17 of 20 rats(85%) in both groups, we observed
airway responses. Among them, an early response(ER) in 15 rats(75%), an dual
response in 5(25%), and an late response(LR) only in 2 rats(10%) displayed.
There were no significant differences in the severity of inflammation among
the trachea, large bronchi, small bronchi and vessels in all groups after
antigen challenge(p>0.05) and between early and late responders. The
significant eosinophil infiltration was observed in 5 rats(50%) of AL(p<0.05)
compared with in AE and controls. Also, eosinophil infiltration was observed
in higher trend in LR(57.1%) compared to ER(40%)(p>0.05).
CONCLUSION
Sprague-Dawley rats sensitized with subcutaneous injection of
OA showed a significant airway responses to antigen challenge. But antigen
challenges caused a little eosinophil infiltration and no significant airway
inflammation. Asthma model of Sprague-Dawley rats could be useful for
antigen-induced airway responses, but this model has a limitation for the
study of human asthma because of no significant pathologic change.