Intranasal and intragastric allergen immunotherapy prevented chronic histopathologic changes in a murine model of asthma

Abstract

Rationale Mucosal tolerance is suggested to be one of the most promising therapeutic approaches in treatment of asthma. Methods In order to test whether the administration of antigen OVA intranasally (IN) and by intragastric (IG) route before the establishment of chronic asthma model could reverse the characteristic features of lung histopathology, BALB/c mice were divided into 4 groups. Group I received 100 μg ovalbumin (OVA) intranasally on consecutive days 15-20. Group II received 5 mg of ovalbumin (OVA) intragastrically on each alternate days (days 28-31-34). Chronic asthma model was established in groups I, II and III as per protocol. Group IV served as controls. In day 92 lungs were taken out for histopathologic evaluation. Results All of the histopathological parameters in small, medium and large airways were significantly more in group III when compared to controls, indicating that chronic asthma model was successfully established. All of the histopathological parameters evaluated in small, medium and large airways showed significant reduction in Group I when compared to Group III. Furthermore, no significant difference in any of those parameters was detected when compared with control mice. Comparisons of histopathological parameters of mice in Group II were less than that of Group III. There was no significant difference in any of the evaluated airway histopathological parameters evaluated in the comparison of Group I and Group II. Conclusions We concluded that low dose intranasal allergen immunotherapy is a very effective potential strategy for primary prevention of chronic asthma development in mouse model.