title: Effect of walnut (Juglans regia) polyphenolic compounds on ovalbumin-specific IgE induction in female BALB/c mice.
abstract: English walnuts are implicated in severe, IgE-mediated food allergy in humans. We sought to determine if polyphenolic compounds extracted from the edible nut could promote IgE production to a coadministered allergen. BALB/c mice were sensitized to ovalbumin (OVA) with or without alum (AL) or polyphenolic-enriched extract via intraperitoneal injection. Serum was analyzed for total IgE and OVA-specific IgE, IgG(1,) and IgG(2a/2b). Coadministration of walnut polyphenolic-enriched extract with antigen and AL increased serum concentrations of antigen-specific IgE and IgG(1). When AL was excluded from the injections, polyphenolic extract tended to enhance OVA-specific IgE and IgG(1) over levels induced by OVA alone, but the increase did not reach significance. Serum IgG(2a/2b) levels were similar between mice receiving OVA/AL and OVA/AL with polyphenolics. Thus, walnut polyphenolic extract enhanced the Th2-skewing effect of an aluminum hydroxide adjuvant. This indicates that walnut polyphenolic compounds may play a role in allergic sensitization of genetically predisposed individuals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Clinical Immunology, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Davis, California 95616, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Comstock
authors.forename: Laurel J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Gershwin
authors.forename: Suzanne S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Teuber
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D031324:Juglans / Q000737:chemistry*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology*; D010636:Phenols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D059808:Polyphenols; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D005419:Flavonoids; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D010636:Phenols; D010936:Plant Extracts; D059808:Polyphenols; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D010047:Ovalbumin