Protective Effect of Glycomacropeptide on Food Allergy with Gastrointestinal Manifestations in a Rat Model through Down-Regulation of Type 2 Immune Response.

Diana Reyes-Pavón,Daniel Cervantes-García,Eva Salinas,Mariela Jiménez,Luis G Bermúdez-Humarán,Andrés Quintanar-Stephano,Laura Elena Córdova-Dávalos

doi:10.3390/nu12102942

Abstract

Glycomacropeptide (GMP) is a bioactive peptide derived from milk κ-casein with immune-modulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. Food allergy (FA) is an adverse immune reaction with a broad spectrum of manifestations. Allergen intake induces persistent intestinal inflammation and tissue damage. In this study, the anti-allergic activity of GMP was evaluated using a rat ovalbumin (OVA)-induced FA model with gastrointestinal manifestation. Rats were orally GMP treated from 3 days prior and during FA development. The severity of food anaphylaxis and diarrheal episodes, antibody production and histamine level were measured. Histopathological changes, inflammation and predominant cytokine profile at intestine were analyzed. Oral GMP intake decreased clinical signs and diarrhea severity induced by allergen, with a significant reduction in intestinal edema and expression level of IL-1β and TNF-α. Prophylaxis with GMP also diminished serum anti-OVA IgE and IgG1, and histamine levels. GMP treatment markedly decreased eosinophil infiltration, mast cell and goblet cell hyperplasia, total IgE expression in intestine, and prevented histological changes in villi, crypts and internal muscularis layer. The treatment effectively suppressed IL-5, IL-13 and GATA3 expression and skewed the intestinal cytokine profile toward type 1 and regulatory. These results suggest that GMP may protect against FA through down-regulating the type 2 inflammatory response.

Highlights

Food allergy (FA) is an adverse immune reaction to food proteins that is becoming a growing clinical problem
We first characterized the IgE-mediated FA model with GI manifestations in Wistar rats induced by initial systemic allergen-sensitization using adjuvants (FA-IM group) or by initial oral allergen-sensitization without adjuvants (FA-O group)
The gene expression of IL-1β was not affected by the OVA challenge, animals that received GMP decreased by 49%

Summary

Introduction

Food allergy (FA) is an adverse immune reaction to food proteins that is becoming a growing clinical problem. The World Allergy Organization has declared that 2.5% of the general population suffers from some type of FA [1]. IgE-mediated allergy is associated with an increased risk of severe, even fatal, reactions [5]; this type of FA is the most studied in order to find effective methods of treatment. Skin and GI tract are most commonly affected sites after a food challenge, it depends on the allergen [6]. The ovalbumin (OVA) is found among the most allergenic and abundant proteins in the white egg [4,7,8,9]. GI symptoms are the most frequently presented after egg consumption [6]

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Discussion

Conclusion