title: TACI:Fc scavenging B cell activating factor (BAFF) alleviates ovalbumin-induced bronchial asthma in mice.
abstract: Asthma was induced by the sensitization and challenge with ovalbumin (OVA) in mice. B-cell activating factor (BAFF) plays a role in mature B cell generation and maintenance. Here, we investigated whether, BAFF expression was changed in OVA-induced mice and whether the control of BAFF expression level alleviates the symptom of bronchial asthma. BAFF expression was detected in alveolar-associated cells surrounding bronchi of OVA-induced mouse lung tissues. BAFF protein was also increased in OVA-induced mouse serum. The increased BAFF transcripts was detected in OVA-induced mouse splenocytes. OVA-induced asthma was associated with the increased number of eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). When TACI:Fc scavenging soluble BAFF was injected to OVA-induced mice, a significant inhibition was detected in the thickness of airway smooth muscle and glycol-containing cellular elements in airway that were visualized by hematoxylin/eosin Y and periodic acid-Schiff staining, respectively. In addition, when mice were treated with TACI:Fc protein, BAFF protein level was decreased in alveolar-associated cells surrounding bronchi of OVA-induced mouse lung tissues compared to control mice. When compared to OVA-induced control, TACI:Fc treatment reduced the percentage of non-lymphoid cells and no changes were detected in lymphoid cell population. Hypodiploid cell formation in BALF was decreased by OVA-challenge but it was recovered by TACI:Fc treatment. Collectively, data suggest that asthmatic symptom could be alleviated by scavenging BAFF and then BAFF could be a novel target for the development of anti-asthmatic agents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Sejong University, Seoul 143-747, Korea. eunyimoon@sejong.ac.kr
authors.forename: Eun-Yi
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Sook-Kyung
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Ryu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001249:Asthma / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001980:Bronchi / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007141:Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments / Q000235:genetics*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000235:genetics*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010047:Ovalbumin; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013154:Spleen / Q000378:metabolism; D053303:Transmembrane Activator and CAML Interactor Protein / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor; D007141:Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D053303:Transmembrane Activator and CAML Interactor Protein; D010047:Ovalbumin