title: Differential susceptibility of C57BL/6 and DBA/2 mice to ovalbumin-induced pulmonary eosinophilia regulated by Th1/Th2-type cytokines.
abstract: To test the effect of genotype on immune response, C57BL/6 and DBA/2 mice were sensitized with aluminum hydroxide gel (alum)-precipitated ovalbumin (OVA) and challenged with aerosolized OVA. The serum immunoglobulin (Ig) E and IgG1 levels in C57BL/6 mice were higher than those in DBA/2 mice. In contrast, IgG2a levels in C57BL/6 mice were lower than that in DBA/2 mice. C57BL/6 mice were also much more susceptible than DBA/2 mice to OVA-induced pulmonary eosinophilia. Furthermore, patterns of cytokine generation in lung tissue were different between C57BL/6 and DBA/2 mice after OVA challenge. Th2-type cytokine interleukin (IL-) 4 and IL-5 generation in C57BL/6 mice was higher than that in DBA/2 mice, while Thl-type cytokine interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) generation in C57BL/6 mice was lower than that in DBA/2 mice. Similar patterns of IL-4 and IL-5, and IFN-gamma production in splenocytes from both strains after OVA stimulation in vitro were also observed. The participation of IL-4 and IL-5, and IFN-gamma in the regulation of eosinophil infiltration into the lung was confirmed by injection of anti-IL-5, -IL-4 and -IFN-gamma monoclonal antibodies. These results indicate that C57BL/6 mice preferentially induce IL-4 and IL-5-mediated Th2-type response, while DBA/2 mice induce IFN-gamma-mediated Thl-type response. Thus, the genotype of laboratory strains partially determines whether Th1- or Th2-type immune responses are elicited.
authors.affiliation: Inflammation Research Pharmacology Laboratories, Institute for Drug Discovery Research, Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Ibaraki, Japan. morokata@yamanouchi.co.jp
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Morokata
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamada
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D005838:Genotype; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D010047:Ovalbumin; D011657:Pulmonary Eosinophilia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D010047:Ovalbumin