Abstract
Allergic asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases of the airways, however it still remains underdiagnosed and hence undertreated. Therefore, an allergic asthma rat model would be useful to be applied in future therapeutic strategy studies. The aim of the present study was to develop an objective model of allergic asthma in atopic rats that allows the induction and quantification of anaphylactic shock with quantitative variables. Female Brown Norway rats were intraperitoneally sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA), alum and Bordetella pertussis toxin and boosted a week later with OVA in alum. At day 28, all rats received an intranasal challenge with OVA. Anaphylactic response was accurately assessed by changes in motor activity and body temperature. Leukotriene concentration was determined in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and total and IgE anti-OVA antibodies were quantified in blood and BALF samples. The asthmatic animals’ motility and body temperature were reduced after the shock for at least 20 h. The asthmatic animals developed anti-OVA IgE antibodies both in BALF and in serum. These results show an effective and relatively rapid model of allergic asthma in female Brown Norway rats that allows the quantification of the anaphylactic response.
Highlights
Allergic asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways, caused by an immunologicalmediated hypersensitivity reaction [1]
The first experiments were carried out in order to establish whether Bordetella pertussis toxin (Bpt) was needed to induce an IgE-mediated allergy in the animals
The group immunized with Bpt presented the highest total anti-OVA antibody levels (p < 0.0001 vs. basal levels and those from the non-Bpt immunized group) with an increase in anti-OVA IgE antibody production (p < 0.01 vs. basal levels)
Summary
Allergic asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways, caused by an immunologicalmediated hypersensitivity reaction [1]. A range of underlying mechanisms causes airway inflammation that involves variable airflow limitation and respiratory symptoms. Shortness of breath, chest tightness and cough are the most characteristic asthma features [2]. The condition usually starts in childhood, it can develop in adulthood, and affects people of all ages. Type 2-driven inflammation is key in allergic asthma, the pathophysiology is complex and involves several pathogenic pathways that allow the definition of disease endotypes [3]. Asthma is one of the most common chronic, non-communicable diseases, and affects around 270 million people worldwide [4]. Asthma still remains underdiagnosed and undertreated, producing quality of life and lifestyle disruptions and creating a burden on families, societies and countries [5]
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