title: Modulation of the induction of lung and airway allergy in the offspring of IFN-gamma-treated mother mice.
abstract: Recent studies have highlighted the influence of fetal/maternal interactions on the development of asthma. Because IFN-gamma reduces Th2-mediated allergic responses, we assessed its capacity to modulate asthma in the offspring when injected into mothers during pregnancy. IFN-gamma was injected in CD1 female mice on day 6.5 of gestation. Immediately after birth, male newborns were housed in cages with interchanged mothers: the offspring from IFN-gamma-treated mothers were breastfed by normal mothers (IFN/nor), and those from normal mothers were breastfed by IFN-gamma-treated (Nor/IFN) or normal mothers (Nor/nor). Immediately after weaning, the spleen cells from IFN/nor and Nor/IFN mice produced less IL-4 and more IFN-gamma than Nor/nor mice when stimulated with Con A. At the age of 6-7 wk, mice were immunized with OVA on days 0 and 7. From day 14 to 16, they were exposed to aerosolized OVA. The bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from Nor/nor mice showed eosinophilia, a large number of these cells being present in perivascular and peribronchial regions of lung tissues. IFN/nor or Nor/IFN mice showed greatly reduced eosinophil numbers in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. In addition, lung sections from IFN/nor, but not Nor/IFN mice showed almost normal histology. In OVA-sensitized IFN/nor and Nor/IFN mice, the production of IFN-gamma, IL-4, and IL-5 by spleen cells was significantly reduced as compared with cells from the OVA-sensitized Nor/nor group. IgE and anaphylactic IgG1 were also reduced in plasma of IFN/nor mice. In conclusion, the presence of IFN-gamma during pregnancy confers to the fetus a protection against allergenic provocations in the adult life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Valdenia Maria Oliveira
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Eliana Lima
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Faquim-Mauro
authors.forename: Mara Sandra
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hoshida
authors.forename: Estela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bevilacqua
authors.forename: Mahasti Sahihi
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Macedo
authors.forename: Wothan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tavares-de-Lima
authors.forename: B Boris
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Vargaftig
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000276:immunology; D001249:Asthma / Q000517:prevention & control; D004802:Eosinophilia; D005260:Female; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007114:Immunization; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D015848:Interleukin-5; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D010047:Ovalbumin