title: Dietary pulverized konjac glucomannan prevents the development of allergic rhinitis-like symptoms and IgE response in mice.
abstract: Konjac is a traditional Japanese food with a peculiar texture, and it has been suggested that its main ingredient, konjac glucomannan (KGM), ameliorates metabolic disorders such as diabetes and hypercholesteremia. We have found that feeding with pulverized KGM (PKGM) prevents skin inflammation in a murine model of atopic dermatitis. Here, we show that dietary PKGM suppresses allergic rhinitis-like symptoms in mice upon immunization and nasal sensitization with ovalbumin (OVA). The PKGM-fed mice showed a much lower frequency of sneezing than in control animals. We also found that PKGM supplementation exclusively suppressed OVA-specific IgE response without affecting IgG1/IgG2a responses as well as systemic Th1/Th2 cytokine production. These results suggest that PKGM can be a beneficial foodstuff in preventing nasal allergy such as seasonal pollinosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Graduate School of Advanced Sciences of Matter, Hiroshima University, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobukazu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Onishi
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawamoto
authors.forename: Kazuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamanaka
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katayama
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Tsunehiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aki
authors.forename: Kunihiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Michihiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hide
authors.forename: Kazuhisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ono
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D008351:Mannans / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D011208:Powders / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012912:Sneezing / Q000187:drug effects; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D014783:Viscosity
chemical_list: D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D015848:Interleukin-5; D008351:Mannans; D011208:Powders; D015847:Interleukin-4; C022901:(1-6)-alpha-glucomannan; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D010047:Ovalbumin