Prenatal lipopolysaccharide-exposure prevents allergic sensitization and airway inflammation, but not airway responsiveness in a murine model of experimental asthma.
BACKGROUND
Epidemiological evidence underlines the impact of prenatal environmental factors on the development of postnatal allergies. In this regard an inverse correlation between lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure and development of childhood allergy has been found.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the impact of prenatal LPS exposure on the development of postnatal respiratory allergies in a mouse model of experimental asthma.


METHODS
Female BALB/c mice were exposed to LPS before conception and during pregnancy. Several weeks after birth offspring were sensitized to ovalbumin (OVA) followed by aerosol allergen challenges.


RESULTS
Prenatal, maternal LPS-exposure enhanced neonatal IFN-gamma, but not IL-4 and IL-2 production. OVA sensitization of prenatally LPS-exposed mice was accompanied by a marked suppression in anti-OVA IgG1 and IgE as well as unchanged IgG2a antibody responses, paralleled by a significant reduction in IL-5 and IL-13 levels following mitogenic stimulation of splenic leucocytes. Assessment of bronchoalveolar lavage fluids following allergen challenges revealed a marked reduction in eosinophils and macrophages in these mice. Surprisingly, development of airway hyper-responsiveness, a hallmark of bronchial asthma, was not affected.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides first experimental evidence that LPS may already operate in prenatal life in order to modulate the development of allergies in the offspring.
Blümer
N
N
Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Hospital of the Philipps-University Marburg, 35033 Marburg, Germany.
Herz
U
U
Wegmann
M
M
Renz
H
H
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000097:blood; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000276:immunology; D016085:Bronchoconstrictor Agents; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D023421:Models, Animal; D010047:Ovalbumin; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D016085:Bronchoconstrictor Agents; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D010047:Ovalbumin