Abstract
BackgroundThe inhalation of allergens by allergic asthmatics results in the early asthmatic response (EAR), which is characterized by acute airway obstruction beginning within a few minutes. The EAR is the earliest indicator of the pathological progression of allergic asthma. Because the molecular mechanism underlying the EAR is not fully defined, this study will contribute to a better understanding of asthma.MethodsIn order to gain insight into the molecular basis of the EAR, we examined changes in protein expression patterns in the lung tissue of asthmatic rats during the EAR using 2-DE/MS-based proteomic techniques. Bioinformatic analysis of the proteomic data was then performed using PPI Spider and KEGG Spider to investigate the underlying molecular mechanism.ResultsIn total, 44 differentially expressed protein spots were detected in the 2-DE gels. Of these 44 protein spots, 42 corresponded to 36 unique proteins successfully identified using mass spectrometry. During subsequent bioinformatic analysis, the gene ontology classification, the protein-protein interaction networking and the biological pathway exploration demonstrated that the identified proteins were mainly involved in glycolysis, calcium binding and mitochondrial activity. Using western blot and semi-quantitative RT-PCR, we confirmed the changes in expression of five selected proteins, which further supports our proteomic and bioinformatic analyses.ConclusionsOur results reveal that the allergen-induced EAR in asthmatic rats is associated with glycolysis, calcium binding and mitochondrial activity, which could establish a functional network in which calcium binding may play a central role in promoting the progression of asthma.
Highlights
The inhalation of allergens by allergic asthmatics results in the early asthmatic response (EAR), which is characterized by acute airway obstruction beginning within a few minutes
Previous evidence has demonstrated that the EAR can be associated with inflammatory mediators secreted by pulmonary mast cells in an IgE-dependent process, and following the activation of specific receptors, these inflammatory mediators have spasmogenic effects that result in abnormal airway smooth muscle (ASM) contraction [5,9]
Respiratory function measurement following OVA challenge The OVA challenge in sensitized rats induced a significant increase in the RL and, simultaneously, significant decreases in the Cdyn and respiratory rate (RR) compared with control rats
Summary
The inhalation of allergens by allergic asthmatics results in the early asthmatic response (EAR), which is characterized by acute airway obstruction beginning within a few minutes. Previous evidence has demonstrated that the EAR can be associated with inflammatory mediators secreted by pulmonary mast cells in an IgE-dependent process, and following the activation of specific receptors, these inflammatory mediators have spasmogenic effects that result in abnormal airway smooth muscle (ASM) contraction [5,9]. These findings have expanded our understanding of the EAR at different levels. To gain insight into the protein basis of the EAR, a global protein profiling study is urgently needed
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