title: The effects of lipoic acid on soybean beta-conglycinin-induced anaphylactic reactions in a rat model.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of feeding a low dose of lipoic acid on attenuating soybean beta-conglycinin-induced hypersensitivity using a rat model, with ovalbumin as the positive allergic control. Forty-eight recently weaned male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to four treatments and fed a cornstarch-casein-based diet either unsupplemented (Groups I, II and III) or supplemented with 25 mg/kg lipoic acid (Group IV). On days 1, 10, 17, and 24, Groups III and IV were sensitised with 20 mg beta-conglycinin by means of intragastric gavage, while Group II was sensitised with 20 mg ovalbumin and Group I (control) with casein. On day 31, rats received a double dose of beta-conglycinin, ovalbumin or casein, respectively. Ovalbumin-sensitised rats (Group II) and beta-conglycinin-sensitised rats (Group III) demonstrated an increase in serum IgE and histamine release, but reduced growth performance compared to the control (Group 1) (p < 0.05). A low dose of lipoic acid had no effect on average weight gain, but increased villus height in the jejunum (p < 0.05), while reducing serum beta-conglycinin-specific IgE and histamine content in the jejunum. Moreover, lipoic acid supplementation did not significantly affect interferon-gamma or interleukin-4. Taken together, our results suggest that a low dose of lipoic acid could potentially be used as an immunomodulator to attenuate soybean beta-conglycinin induced allergies.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Pengfei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Jingdong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yin
mesh_terms: D000707:Anaphylaxis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D052179:Antigens, Plant / Q000276:immunology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005916:Globulins / Q000276:immunology*; D006632:Histamine / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D055314:Seed Storage Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D030262:Soybean Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D008063:Thioctic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D052179:Antigens, Plant; D005916:Globulins; D055314:Seed Storage Proteins; D030262:Soybean Proteins; C013894:beta-conglycinin protein, Glycine max; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D008063:Thioctic Acid; D006632:Histamine; D010047:Ovalbumin