Intestinal inflammation enhances the development of egg white-induced anaphylaxis in Balb/c mice

Abstract

ObjectiveTo date, there has been insufficient research on the role of intestinal inflammation in the development of food allergy. The present study investigated whether intestinal inflammation may elicit the development of systemic and intestinal hypersensitivity in egg white-sensitized mice. Material and methodsFemale Balb/c mice were divided into four groups as follows: controls, treated with 4% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) for 4 days, orally sensitized with egg white (EW), treated with 4% DSS and orally sensitized with EW. Ovalbumin (OVA)-specific and ovomucoid (OVM)-specific IgG and IgE were determined in mouse serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Anaphylactic symptom scores and body temperature were determined in vivo after oral challenge to EW. Secretory responses to OVA and OVM challenge were assessed ex vivo in jejunal tissue mounted in Ussing chambers by measuring short-circuit current and epithelial conductance. Intestinal inflammation was assessed by histopathologic examination. ResultsOral sensitization of DSS-treated mice resulted in high production of anti-OVA and anti-OVM (P<0.001) specific IgG and IgE, marked anaphylactic reactions with a decrease in body temperature and a clear decrease in villus length (P<0.001). Interestingly, we found that oral sensitization of DSS-treated mice promoted certain intestinal dysfunctions, as illustrated by increased secretory response and increased epithelial conductance (P< 0.001). ConclusionThese findings show that intestinal inflammation enhanced allergic sensitization to food allergens by inducing marked local and systemic hypersensitivity.