title: Intranasal exposure to monoclonal antibody Fab fragments to Japanese cedar pollen Cry j1 suppresses Japanese cedar pollen-induced allergic rhinitis.
abstract: Fab fragments (Fabs) of antibodies have the ability to bind to specific allergens but lack the Fc portion that exerts effector functions via binding to receptors including FcεR1 on mast cells. In the present study, we investigated whether intranasal administration of the effector function-lacking Fabs of a monoclonal antibody IgG1 (mAb, P1-8) to the major allergen Cry j1 of Japanese cedar pollen (JCP) suppressed JCP-induced allergic rhinitis in mice.
  
  
  
  Balb/c mice sensitized with JCP on days 0 and 14 were challenged intranasally with the pollen on days 28, 29, 30 and 35. Fabs prepared by the digestion of P1-8 with papain were also administered intranasally 15 min before each JCP challenge.
  
  
  
  Intranasal administration of P1-8 Fabs was followed by marked suppression of sneezing and nasal rubbing in mice with JCP-induced allergic rhinitis. The suppression of these allergic symptoms by P1-8 Fabs was associated with decreases in mast cells and eosinophils and decreased hyperplasia of goblet cells in the nasal mucosa.
  
  
  
  These results demonstrated that intranasal exposure to P1-8 Fabs was effective in suppressing JCP-induced allergic rhinitis in mice, suggesting that allergen-specific mAb Fabs might be used as a tool to regulate allergic pollinosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshino
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mizutani
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology*; D065631:Rhinitis, Allergic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D012912:Sneezing / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments