Dissociation of inflammatory and epithelial responses in a murine model of chronic asthma
Date
2000
Authors
Foster, Paul S
Yang, Ming
Matthaei, Klaus
Young, I M
Temelkovski, J
Kumar, Rakesh K
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Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Abstract
To study pathogenetic mechanisms in chronic asthma, we employed a novel experimental model that replicates characteristic features of the human disease. Chronic inflammation and epithelial changes, specifically localized to the airways, were induced by repeated exposure of systemically sensitized BALB/c mice to low mass concentrations of aerosolized ovalbumin for 6 weeks. The contribution of Th2 cytokine-driven inflammation to the development of airway lesions and hyperreactivity was assessed in cytokine-deficient mice. In interleukin-5-deficient animals, intraepithelial eosinophils and chronic inflammatory cells in the lamina propria of the airways were markedly decreased; however, these animals developed epithelial hypertrophy and subepithelial fibrosis comparable with that observed in sensitized wild type mice. Airway hyperreactivity to inhaled methacholine did not develop in interleukin-5-deficient mice. In contrast, interleukin-4-deficient mice exhibited no decrease in airway inflammation, but had significantly greater epithelial hypertrophy and subepithelial fibrosis, as well as exaggerated hyperreactivity to methacholine. We conclude that interleukin-5, but not interleukin-4, plays a central role in the development of chronic inflammation of the airways and the induction of airway hyperreactivity. Furthermore, chronic epithelial and fibrotic changes occur independently of interleukin-5 and are not required for the development of airway hyperreactivity. The dissociation between airway wall remodeling and airway hyperreactivity has important implications for therapeutic approaches to chronic asthma.
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Keywords
Keywords: cytokine; interleukin 4; interleukin 5; methacholine; animal experiment; animal model; animal tissue; article; asthma; bronchus hyperreactivity; chronic inflammation; controlled study; cytokine release; eosinophil; experimental model; fibrosis; hypertroph
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Laboratory Investigation
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Journal article
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2037-12-31
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