Structural changes in the airways of sensitized brown Norway rats after antigen challenge

The purpose of this study was to quantitate the structural changes in the airways of sensitized rats after repeated challenge with aerosolized antigen and to examine the relationship between these changes and alterations in responsiveness to methacholine (MCh). We studied 28 Brown Norway rats that were actively sensitized to ovalbumin (OA). Responsiveness to aerosolized MCh was quantitated as the concentration of MCh required to double pulmonary resistance (EC200 RL). The EC200 RL was determined before and 1 and 5 days after three inhalational challenges with OA (n = 17) or saline (n = 11) at 5-day intervals (on Days 14, 19, and 24 after sensitization). Responsiveness to MCh increased after OA; EC200 RL fell from 1.71 to 0.71 mg/ml at 1 day (p less than 0.01) and 0.87 mg/ml at 5 days (p less than 0.02) after OA but did not change after saline challenge. Formalin-fixed lungs from a sample of OA-challenged (n = 12) and saline-challenged (n = 6) animals were paraffin embedded, and 5-microns sections were stained with hematoxylin-phloxin-saffron. Cross-sectional areas of the airway wall and smooth muscle (ASM) were determined for all intrapulmonary membranous airways. There was an approximately twofold increase in the quantity of airway smooth muscle in airways of OA-challenged animals compared with saline-challenged control animals. Airway wall area did not change significantly. There was a correlation (r = 0.618, p less than 0.05) between the quantity of ASM in large airways (basement membrane length 2.00 to 2.99 mm) and change in responsiveness to MCh.

Dissimilarity in methacholine and adenosine 5'-monophosphate responsiveness 3 and 24 h after allergen challenge

Bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) to methacholine and adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) was studied in 15 allergic asthmatic patients before and 3 and 24 h after allergen challenge with house dust mite (HDM). Subjects attended the clinic on 3 consecutive days. On the first day a control solution was inhaled, and methacholine or AMP challenge was performed 3 h later. The next day HDM was inhaled, and 3 and 24 h later methacholine or AMP challenge was performed again. There were no significant difference in FEV1 baseline value between any of the study days. PD20 HDM, percentage decrease in FEV1, and AUC for both the EAR and LAR were not significantly different in the methacholine and AMP studies. After HDM challenge, PC20 methacholine decreased significantly from a geometric mean (+/- SEM) starting value of 1.39 +/- 0.63 mg/ml to 0.30 +/- 0.78 mg/ml (p less than 0.001) at 3 h and to 0.22 +/- 0.75 mg/ml (p less than 0.001) at 24 h. The magnitude of the decrease in PC20 methacholine at 3 h correlated with the severity of the late asthmatic reaction (LAR) as measured by the percentage fall in FEV1 and area under the curve (AUC) (r = -0.60 and r = 0.55; p less than 0.05). A significant decrease was observed in the PC20 AMP at 3 h, from a geometric mean value of 12.2 +/- 0.96 mg/ml after challenge with the control solution to 4.47 +/- 0.99 mg/ml (p less than 0.05) after HDM challenge.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Late-phase asthmatic reaction to inhaled allergen is associated with early recruitment of eosinophils in the airways

To determine whether a link exists between the recruitment of inflammatory cells in the airways and the development of the late-phase asthmatic reaction, we studied with bronchoalveolar lavage 54 asthmatic patients either at baseline (10 patients) or 4 h (11 patients), 24 h (13 patients), and 72 h (20 patients) after allergen inhalation challenge. Among the patients studied 4 h after allergen challenge, five were known to have a late-phase asthmatic response and showed a significant increase in the number and percentage of eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage compared with either patients without late-phase response (p less than 0.05) or unchallenged patients (p less than 0.01). Both the number and the percentage of eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage were also increased (p less than 0.05) in patients without a late-phase asthmatic reaction studied 24 h but not in those studied 4 h after allergen challenge. The numbers and the percentages of macrophages, neutrophils, or lymphocytes did not differ significantly among the different groups of patients. Of the patients studied 4 and 24 h after allergen challenge, only those with a late-phase asthmatic response showed an increased airway responsiveness to methacholine 1 h before bronchoalveolar lavage. We conclude that the development of the late-phase asthmatic response to allergen inhalation challenge and the allergen-induced increase in airway responsiveness are associated with an early recruitment of eosinophils in the airways.

Lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli reduces antigen-induced bronchoconstriction in actively sensitized guinea pigs

Bronchoconstriction (BC) is the main feature of anaphylaxis in the guinea pig. Since LPS induces lung inflammation and antigen-induced BC depends on the endogenous formation of histamine and arachidonate metabolites, we studied whether LPS might modulate antigen-induced BC. Guinea pigs were sensitized subcutaneously with 10 micrograms ovalbumin (OA) on days 0 and 14. LPS (100 micrograms/kg) was injected intravenously on day 21, and daily injections of LPS were continued before the antigenic challenge on day 22, 23, 24, or 25. Intratracheal injection of 100 micrograms OA induced an abrupt and reversible BC. Single or repetitive injections of LPS reduced BC. LPS is likely to reduce the OA-induced BC by affecting the histamine-dependent component of BC, since (a) LPS induced a partial degranulation of lung mast cells; (b) BC is reduced by mepyramine, an histamine receptor antagonist; (c) LPS did not affect BC in mepyramine-treated guinea pigs; (d) LPS reduced histamine release by OA-stimulated guinea pig lungs in vitro. Moreover, the in vitro OA-induced production of arachidonate metabolites was also reduced by LPS. The decreased formation of TXB2 was not only secondary to a reduced release of histamine, since LPS inhibited TXB2 formation in the presence of mepyramine. Finally, the FMLP-induced BC and mediator release were inhibited by LPS, whereas the platelet activating factor-induced pulmonary responses were not. Thus, the protective effect of LPS is not antigen-specific and does not result from a general desensitization. These studies indicate that a single dose of LPS reduces the antigen-induced BC by reducing histamine release from lung mast cells, although a decreased formation of eicosanoids may contribute to the protective effect of LPS.

Determination of plasma leukotrienes in antigen-induced bronchoconstrictive guinea pigs

Convenient extraction and radioimmunoassay methods for measurement of leukotrienes C4 and D4 (LTC4 and LTD4) in biological fluids are described. LTC4 or LTD4 in plasma was extracted with acetonitrile, and the extract was washed with dichloromethane then adjusted to pH 3.5 or 6.0, respectively. Each leukotriene was partially purified by using a C18-bonded silica cartridge and quantitated by radioimmunoassay. Amounts of LTC4 and LTD4 in the range of 0.025-1.6 ng could be assayed in plasma. This procedure was employed to examine the increase in plasma LTC4 (0.249 +/- 0.036 ng/ml) and LTD4 (1.399 +/- 0.235 ng/ml) of guinea pigs during intravenous challenge-induced anaphylactic bronchoconstriction, and the suppression of the increase of bronchoconstriction and leukotrienes by the administration of 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors such as E6080 (6-hydroxy-2-(4-sulfamoylbenzyl-amino)- 4,5,7-trimethylbenzothiazole hydrochloride), AA861 (2,3,5-trimethyl-6-(12-hydroxy-5,10-dodecadiynyl)-1,4-benzoquinone ) and phenidone. On the other hand, LTC4 and LTD4 were not detected in plasma after an inhaled challenge, though significant bronchoconstriction was provoked. It was concluded that the present study validates a new technique for quantitating plasma leukotrienes on the basis of pH and a suitable method for evaluating the pharmacological efficacy of 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors.

Role of leukotriene C4 and edema in the acute allergic bronchoconstriction in the guinea pig

In vitro studies have suggested that leukotrienes are involved in acute allergic bronchoconstriction, though this has not been definitively corroborated yet in in vivo studies. On the other hand, edema production during antigenic challenge could be an additional factor favouring such bronchoconstriction. In the present work we quantified immunoreactive leukotriene C4 (iLTC4) concentrations in bronchoalveolar lavages during allergic bronchoconstriction induced by 1 mg/kg i.v. ovalbumin (OA) in immunized guinea pigs, as well as water content in guinea pig lung fragments obtained before and during this bronchoconstriction. We found that basal concentrations of iLTC4 (median 1.06 ng/ml) were not significantly modified at 2, 5 and 10 min (median 1.10, 0.29 and 1.37 ng/ml, respectively) of the bronchoconstrictor response. Water content in lung fragments did not change among non-immunized guinea pigs, immunized ones and at 15 min of bronchoconstriction (mean +/- SEM 79.32% +/- 0.18, 79.10% +/- 0.31 and 79.13% +/- 0.40%, respectively). In addition, isoproterenol (20 micrograms/kg, i.v.) rapidly reverted about 70% of the bronchoconstriction induced by a higher antigenic dose (OA, 3.1 mg/kg i.v.); residual obstruction was not associated with increased water content in lung fragments (78.13% +/- 0.43). These results suggest that in this model, acute allergic bronchoconstriction is not due to an increased iLTC4 release or to edema production, and that airway smooth muscle contraction is the main component of this response.

Increased airways responsiveness in swine farmers

A respiratory questionnaire, pulmonary function tests, and an examination of airways responsiveness were conducted on 20 swine farmers and 20 control subjects. The swine farmers represented almost the complete work force from 13 Hutterite colonies and had worked in confinement buildings with more than 2,000 swine (3,270 +/- 1,221 swine) for at least four hours (6.6 +/- 1.8 hours) per day for more than two years (10.5 +/- 7.5 years). The control subjects were randomly selected from outdoor city workers from the city of Saskatoon and were matched for gender, age (+/- 2 years), and smoking status. Eleven swine farmers (55 percent) had chronic cough, compared with three (15 percent) of the control subjects (p less than 0.01). Eight (40 percent) of the swine farmers had symptoms of wheezing, compared with three (15 percent) of the control subjects (p less than 0.05). The FEV1 was significantly lower in swine farmers (97.2 +/- 11.5 percent predicted) than in control subjects (106.0 +/- 12.0 percent of predicted) (p less than 0.05). Airways responsiveness was measured by methacholine challenge with doubling concentrations ranging from 0.25 to 256 mg/ml. The provocation concentrations resulting in a reduction of 10 percent (PC10) and 20 percent (PC20) in FEV1 were lower in swine farmers than in control subjects (PC10, 77.2 +/- 78.8 mg/ml vs 180.8 +/- 96.5 mg/ml; p less than 0.01; and PC20, 154.5 +/- 99.9 mg/ml vs 229.6 +/- 66.8 mg/ml; p less than 0.05). Twelve swine farmers (60 percent) had PC20 of less than 256 mg/ml, compared with three (15 percent) of the control workers (p less than 0.01). Fewer swine farmers demonstrated atopy as measured by skin prick tests than did control workers (21 percent vs 56 percent; p less than 0.05). These findings suggested that occupational exposure in swine confinement buildings is associated with mild increases of nonspecific, nonatopic airways responsiveness in swine farmers.

[The effect of sensitization to the electrical activity of the muscles of the lower respiratory tract in the rat]

The electrical activity of the smooth muscle of the trachea was studied on sensibilized ovalbumine rats. The role of intramural ganglions of the airway was shown.

Histamine H3 receptors modulate antigen-induced bronchoconstriction in guinea pigs

The effects of a histamine H3-receptor antagonist on the bronchoconstrictor response to antigen challenge were studied in sensitized guinea pigs. We monitored airway opening pressure as an index of airway caliber, and the provocative dose of intravenous ovalbumin (OA) required to produce 200% increase in airway opening pressure (PD200) was determined. Animals were pretreated with propranolol to inhibit adrenergic bronchodilation. OA (1 to 100 micrograms/kg intravenously) challenge caused significant bronchoconstriction with a PD200 of 28.8 micrograms/kg (geometric mean). The selective H3-antagonist, thioperamide (5 mg/kg intraperitoneally), significantly enhanced the OA-induced bronchoconstriction with the PD200 value decreased to 4.0 micrograms/kg (p less than 0.001). The H2-antagonist, cimetidine (10 mg/kg intraperitoneally), had no significant effect on OA-induced response (PD200, 18.2 micrograms/kg). The H1-antagonist, mepyramine (10 mg/kg intraperitoneally), almost completely blocked the effect of OA, suggesting that OA-induced bronchoconstrictor responses are histamine (H1 receptor) mediated. Thioperamide did not alter the dose-response curve to exogenous histamine (0.3 to 3 micrograms/kg intravenously). We conclude that H3 receptors might play a role in regulation of antigen-induced response in the airways.

Biological monitoring of isocyanates and related amines. II. Test chamber exposure of humans to 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI)

Five male subjects were exposed to 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) atmospheres for 7.5 h. The exposures were performed in an 8 m3 stainless steel test chamber, and the HDI atmospheres were generated by a gas-phase permeation method. HDI in air was determined by an HPLC method utilizing the 9-(N-methylaminomethyl)-anthracene reagent, and by a continuous monitoring device (MDA 7100). The average air concentration was ca 25 micrograms/m3, and the inhaled dose of HDI for the different subjects was estimated at ca 100 micrograms. The related amine 1,6-hexamethylene diamine (HDA) was after acid hydrolysis of urine and plasma, determined as a heptafluorobutyric derivative, by glass capillary gas-chromatography and selected ion monitoring (SIM), in a chemical ionization mode using ammonia as reagent gas. The cumulated urinary excretion of HDA during 28 h was 8.0 to 14 micrograms, which corresponds to ca 11 to 21% of the inhaled dose of HDI. The urinary level of HDA, in samples collected immediately after the end of the exposures, was on average 0.02 mmol/mol creatinine (range 0.01-0.03 mmol/mol creatinine). The urinary elimination was rapid, and half-time (t 1/2), for the concentration of HDA in urine, showed an average of 1.2 h (range 1.1-1.4 h). No specific IgE and IgG antibodies to HDI were detected before and after provocation; nor were spirometry or bronchial reactivity changed immediately and 15 h after provocation. Analysis of HDA in hydrolysed urine, as a marker of short-time exposure to HDI, is proposed.