title: Repeated stress reduces mucociliary clearance in animals with chronic allergic airway inflammation.
abstract: We evaluated if repeated stress modulates mucociliary clearance and inflammatory responses in airways of guinea pigs (GP) with chronic inflammation. The GP received seven exposures of ovalbumin or saline 0.9%. After 4th inhalation, animals were submitted to repeated forced swim stressor protocol (5x/week/2 weeks). After 7th inhalation, GP were anesthetized. We measured transepithelial potential difference, ciliary beat frequency, mucociliary transport, contact angle, cough transportability and serum cortisol levels. Lungs and adrenals were removed, weighed and analyzed by morphometry. Ovalbumin-exposed animals submitted to repeated stress had a reduction in mucociliary transport, and an increase on serum cortisol, adrenals weight, mucus wettability and adhesivity, positive acid mucus area and IL-4 positive cells in airway compared to non-stressed ovalbumin-exposed animals (p<0.05). There were no effects on eosinophilic recruitment and IL-13 positive cells. Repeated stress reduces mucociliary clearance due to mucus rheological-property alterations, increasing acid mucus and its wettability and adhesivity. These effects seem to be associated with IL-4 activation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Almeida-Reis
authors.forename: Alessandra C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Toledo
authors.forename: Fabiana G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.forename: Ricardo H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: Carla M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Prado
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dolhnikoff
authors.forename: Mílton A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Edna A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Leick-Maldonado
authors.forename: Iolanda F L C
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Tibério
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D002923:Cilia / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D019261:Epithalamus / Q000502:physiology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007249:Inflammation / Q000150:complications*; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009079:Mucociliary Clearance / Q000502:physiology*; D009093:Mucus / Q000378:metabolism; D009929:Organ Size / Q000502:physiology; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000009:adverse effects; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013550:Swimming / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D007377:Interleukin-3; D015847:Interleukin-4; D010047:Ovalbumin; D006854:Hydrocortisone