[Expression and significance of NLRP3 inflammasome and its downstream factors IL-1β/IL-18 in rat model of allergic rhinitis].
OBJECTIVE
To detect the expression and explore the role of the innate immune NLRP3 inflammasome and its downstream factors interleukin-1β (IL-1β)/ interleukin-18 (IL-18) in rat model of allergic rhinitis (AR).


METHODS
Forty Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into control group (A group), AR model group 1 (B group), AR model group 2(C group), AR model group 3 (D group). Every group contained 10 rats. After the rats in the model group were sensitized by ovalbumin (OVA) and alum, B, C and D groups were separately stimulated with 5% OVA for 10 days, 20 days and 30 days (once a day). The control group did not add OVA in the process of sensitization and excitation. All rats were executed after excitation.Eosinophil granulocyte (EOS) infiltration were observed in nasal mucosa by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, the expression of NLRP3 and cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease-1 (Caspase-1) were observed in nasal mucosa by immunohistochemical staining. The concentrations of ovalbumin specific IgE (OVA-sIgE), IL-18 and IL-1β in peripheral blood and the concentrations of IL-18 and IL-1β in nasal fluid were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The data were processed by SPSS 17.0 software.


RESULTS
EOS cell counted, the behavioral score and the concentrations of OVA-sIgE in AR model group were obviously higher than those in control group (P < 0.05), and the difference of which had statistical significance between the AR model groups (P < 0.05). The expression of NLRP3 in AR model group (The expression of NLRP3 in group of B, C and D were 48.80 ± 10.75, 71.80 ± 16.98 and 100.32 ± 13.91, respectively) were obviously higher than those in control group (17.47 ± 5.59), the difference of which had statistical significance (F = 78.399, P < 0.05). The expression of Caspase-1 in AR model group (The expression of Caspase-1 in group of B, C and D were 36.33 ± 4.71, 50.87 ± 11.18 and 73.10 ± 14.77, respectively) were obviously higher than those in control group (11.48 ± 2.70), the difference of which had statistical significance (F = 71.727, P < 0.05). The concentrations of IL-1β in AR model group [The concentrations of IL-1β in group of B, C and D were (56.46 ± 10.13), (82.37 ± 11.93), (112.01 ± 22.91) pg/ml, respectively] were obviously higher than those in control group [(38.26 ± 4.66) pg/ml], the difference of which had statistical significance (F = 51.981, P < 0.05). The concentrations of IL-18 in AR model group [The concentrations of IL-18 in group of B, C and D were (177.92 ± 23.63), (194.33 ± 20.78), (234.06 ± 31.70) pg/ml, respectively] were obviously higher than those in control group [(89.71 ± 5.56) pg/ml], the difference of which had statistical significance (F = 73.295, P < 0.05). And the difference of which had statistical significance between the AR model groups (P < 0.05). The expression of NLRP3 was significantly positively correlated with the behavioral score, the concentrations of OVA-sIgE and EOS cell counted in rat model of allergic rhinitis (r value were 0.833,0.873 and 0.868, respectively, all P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
NLRP3 inflammasome and its downstream factors IL-1β/IL-18 play a role in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis, which may be correlated with the degree of inflammation.
Department of Rhinology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China.
Huijuan
H
Wan
Department of Rhinology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China.
Hongxia
H
Su
Department of Rhinology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China. Email: zdyfywyy@126.com.
Yuying
Y
Wu
Department of Rhinology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China.
Yulin
Y
Zhao
Department of Rhinology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China.
Minghui
M
Zhou
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004804:Eosinophils; D058847:Inflammasomes / Q000378:metabolism*; D007249:Inflammation; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000378:metabolism*; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D009297:Nasal Mucosa; D010047:Ovalbumin; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D065631:Rhinitis, Allergic / Q000378:metabolism*
D058847:Inflammasomes; D020382:Interleukin-18; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D010047:Ovalbumin