[Treatment of allergic rhinitis rats by intranasal interferon gamma].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects and mechanism of intranasal interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) in the treatment of allergic rhinitis.


METHODS
Ovalbumin (OVA) absorbed to aluminum hydroxide was used to construct the allergic rhinitis model (group C), and the normal control group (group A), the allergic rhinitis model group (group B) and beclomethasone dipropionate group (group D) consisted of 8 rats for each. PBS 50 microl was absorbed to group B, IFN-gamma 1 microg was absorbed to group C and beclomethasone dipropionate 3.5 microg was absorbed to group D on day 31 to day 38 once daily once nasal cavity. The nasal lavage fluid was collected on day 39, and the cellular constituents, levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-5 (IL-5) and IgE were determined, together with the pathologic changes and expression of GATA-3 were observed.


RESULTS
Decrease of eosinophils [(0.005 +/- 0.003) x 10(4)/ml, x +/- s] was seen in nasal lavage fluid of group C as comparing with group B [(0.225 +/- 0.060) x 10(4)/ml, (P < 0.01)], and the levels of IL-4 (7.8 +/- 3.5) pg/ml and IL-5 (12.5 +/- 4.3) pg/ml decreased significantly in comparing with group B (P < 0.01). The serum levels of total IgE (38.5 +/- 9.6) microg/ml and ovalbumin-specific IgE (19.8 +/- 5.4) IU/ml decreased significantly in comparing with those of group B (P < 0.01). In group B, mucosal congestion and edema thickening with inflammatory cells infiltration mainly of eosinophils; in group C, the above mentioned changes were much more ameliorated. Immunohistochemistry showed significant increase of GATA-3 expression in the nasal tissue of group B but much lesser than that in group C.


CONCLUSIONS
IFN-gamma can inhibit the composition of IL-4 and IL-5, and inhibit the airway inflammation with eosinophilic infiltration and the serum levels of total IgE and ovalbumin specific IgE, probably through the mechanism of restraining the Th2 reaction by blockade of GATA-3 expression in the nasal tissue.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Linyi People's Hospital of Shandong, Linyi 276003, China. liqin8226@163.com
Qin
Q
Li
Yong-Dong
YD
Zhang
Chong-Wei
CW
Sun
Yan-Lin
YL
Chen
Ying-Hua
YH
Du
Guang-Juan
GJ
Zhao
Da-Liang
DL
Zhang
D000818:Animals; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000276:immunology; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism
D015848:Interleukin-5; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D007371:Interferon-gamma