title: Spontaneous eosinophilic nasal inflammation in a genetically-mutant mouse: comparative study with an allergic inflammation model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Eosinophilic inflammation is a hallmark of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. To model this disease process experimentally, nasal sensitization of mice with ovalbumin or aspergillus has been described. Here, we describe a genetically mutant mouse that develops robust spontaneous nasal eosinophilic inflammation. These mice lack the enzyme SHP-1 that down-regulates the IL-4Rα/stat6 signaling pathway. We compared nasal inflammation and inflammatory mediators in SHP-1 deficient mice (mev) and an ovalbumin-induced nasal allergy model.
  
  
  METHODS
  A novel technique of trans-pharyngeal nasal lavage was developed to obtain samples of inflammatory cells from the nasal passages of allergic and mev mice. Total and differential cell counts were performed on cytospin preparations. Expression of tissue mRNA for IL-4, IL-13, and mouse beta-defensin-1 (MBD-1) was determined by quantitative PCR. Eotaxin in the lavage fluid was assessed by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Allergic and mev mice had increased total cells and eosinophils compared with controls. Expression of IL-4 was similarly increased in both allergic and mev mice, but expression of IL-13 and eotaxin was significantly greater in the allergic mice than mev mice. Eotaxin was significantly up-regulated in both allergic rhinitis and mev mice. In both models of eosinophilic inflammation, down-regulation of the innate immune marker MBD-1 was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mev mice display spontaneous chronic nasal eosinophilic inflammation with potential utility for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps research. The eosinophilic infiltrate is more robust in the mev mice than allergic mice, but Th2 cytokine expression is not as pronounced. Decreased MBD-1 expression in both models supports the concept that Th2-cytokines down-regulate sinonasal innate immunity in humans, and suggests a role for mouse models in investigating the interaction between adaptive and innate immunity in the sinonasal mucosa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Seok Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Sun Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Zhou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Andrew P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Lane
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation; D017817:Nasal Lavage Fluid; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D009668:Nose Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D053824:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 6 / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics; D050800:STAT6 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D023083:beta-Defensins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018793:Interleukin-13; D050800:STAT6 Transcription Factor; C494100:Stat6 protein, mouse; D023083:beta-Defensins; D015847:Interleukin-4; D010047:Ovalbumin; D053824:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 6; C509248:Ptpn6 protein, mouse