Inflammatory and remodeling events in asthma with chronic exposure to house dust mites: a murine model.
Although animal models with ovalbumin have been used to study chronic asthma, there are difficulties in inducing recurrence as well as in maintaining chronic inflammation in this system. Using a murine model of house dust mite (HDM)-induced bronchial asthma, we examined the airway remodeling process in response to the chronic exposure to HDM. During the seventh and twelfth weeks of study, HDM were inhaled through the nose for three consecutive days and airway responsiveness was measured. Twenty-four hours later, bronchoalveolar lavage and histological examination were performed. The degree of overproduction of mucus, subepithelial fibrosis, and the thickness of the peribronchial smooth muscle in the experimental group was clearly increased compared to the control group. In addition, HDM-exposed mice demonstrated severe airway hyperreactivity to methacholine. In the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, the number of total cells and eosinophils was increased; during the twelfth week, the number of neutrophils increased in the experimental group. With regard to changes in cytokines, the concentrations of IL-4, IL- 13, and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) were increased in the experimental group. The data suggest that eosinophils, IL-4, IL-13, and TGF-beta might play an important role in the airway remodeling process and that neutrophils may be involved with increased exposure time.
Ahn
Joong Hyun
JH
Department of Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Kim
Chi Hong
CH
Kim
Yong Hyun
YH
Kim
Seung Joon
SJ
Lee
Sook Young
SY
Kim
Young Kyoon
YK
Kim
Kwan Hyoung
KH
Moon
Hwa Sik
HS
Song
Jeong Sup
JS
Park
Sung Hak
SH
Kwon
Soon Seog
SS
D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007249:Inflammation / Q000209:etiology*; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000502:physiology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000502:physiology; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D039981:Pyroglyphidae / Q000276:immunology*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000502:physiology
D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D018793:Interleukin-13; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E