title: Studies on BN rats model to determine the potential allergenicity of proteins from genetically modified foods.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Nutrition and Food Safety, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 29 Nanwei Road, Beijing 100050, China.
authors.forename: Xu-Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yong-Ning
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Xiao-Guang
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D010047:Ovalbumin; D000135:Acid Phosphatase