Abstract
Epidemiological evidence suggests that formaldehyde (FA) exposure may influence the prevalence and severity of allergic asthma. However, the role of genetic background in FA-induced asthma-like responses is poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated the nature and severity of asthma-like responses triggered by exposure to different doses of FA together with or without ovalbumin (OVA) in two genetically different mouse strains—BALB/c and C57BL/6. Both mouse strains were divided into two main groups: the non-sensitized group and the OVA-sensitized group. All the groups were exposed to 0, 0.5 or 3.0 mg/m3 FA for 6 h/day over 25 consecutive days. At 24 h after the final FA exposure, the pulmonary parameters were evaluated. We found that FA exposure induced Th2-type allergic responses in non-sensitized BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice. In addition, FA-induced allergic responses were significantly more prominent in BALB/c mice than in C57BL/6 mice. In sensitized BALB/c mice, however, FA exposure suppressed the development of OVA-induced allergic responses. Exposure to 3.0 mg/m3 FA in sensitized C57BL/6 mice also led to suppressed allergic responses, whereas exposure to 0.5 mg/m3 FA resulted in exacerbated allergic responses to OVA. Our findings suggest that FA exposure can induce differential airway inflammation and bronchial hyperresponsiveness in BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice.
Highlights
Asthma is a chronic allergic disease characterized by airway inflammation and bronchial hyperresponsiveness
Unlike the corresponding BALB/c mice, sensitized C57BL/6 mice exposed to 0.5 mg/m3 FA presented significantly increased concentrations of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) compared with sensitized C57BL/6 mice without FA exposure
We investigated the effects of different doses of FA exposure on the development and exacerbation of allergic responses in two genetically different mouse strains—BALB/c and C57BL/6
Summary
Asthma is a chronic allergic disease characterized by airway inflammation and bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Over the last several decades, the prevalence of asthma has dramatically increased among children in both developed and developing countries [1, 2]. This rapid increase in prevalence is mainly due to exposure to environmental factors, including various indoor pollutants such as formaldehyde (FA) [3, 4]. FA is a common indoor air pollutant that is ubiquitously found in homes and buildings.
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