Studies on BN rats model to determine the potential allergenicity of proteins from genetically modified foods.
OBJECTIVE
To develop a Brown Norway (BN) rat model to determine the potential allergenicity of novel proteins in genetically modified food.


METHODS
The allergenicity of different proteins were compared, including ovalbumin (OVA), a potent respiratory and food allergen, bovine serum albumin (BSA), a protein that is considered to have a lesser allergenic potential, and potato acid phosphatase (PAP), a non-allergenic protein when administered to BN rats via different routes of exposure (intraperitoneally or by gavage). IgG and IgE antibody responses were determined by ELISA and PCA, respectively. An immunoassay kit was used to determine the plasma histamine level. In addition, possible systemic effect of allergens was investigated by monitoring blood pressure.


RESULTS
OVA provoked very vigorous protein-specific IgG and IgE responses, low grade protein-specific IgG and IgE responses were elicited by BSA, while by neither route did PAP elicit anything. In either routes of exposure, plasma histamine level in BN rats sensitized with OVA was higher than that of BSA or PAP. In addition, an oral challenge with BSA and PAP did not induce any effect on blood pressure, while a temporary drop in systolic blood pressure in few animals of each routes of exposure was found by an oral challenge with OVA.


CONCLUSIONS
BN rat model might be a useful and predictive animal model to study the potential allergenicity of novel food proteins.
Jia
Xu-Dong
XD
National Institute for Nutrition and Food Safety, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 29 Nanwei Road, Beijing 100050, China.
Li
Ning
N
Wu
Yong-Ning
YN
Yang
Xiao-Guang
XG
D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D030841:Food, Genetically Modified / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D011914:Rats, Inbred BN; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000276:immunology; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000276:immunology
D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D010047:Ovalbumin; D000135:Acid Phosphatase