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Updated: Sep 28, 2026
Murine Model of Allergen Induced Asthma
Published on: May 14, 2012
[Effects of vaccae on airway inflammation and Th1/Th2 cytokines in sensitized mice]
Qiangmin Xie1, Rulian Bian, Kangsong Wu
1Zhejiang Respiratory Drugs Research Laboratory of State Drugs Administration of China, Medical School of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310031, China.
Objective:
To study the inhibitory effect of Mycobacterium vaccae (M. vaccae) on the accumulation of airway inflammatory cells and its regulatory effect on IFN-gamma/IL-4 balance in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) from ovalbumin (OVA)-challenged and sensitized mice, therefore to provide experimental evidence for the application of M. vaccae in the treatment of asthma.
Methods:
Sensitized mice were given a single dose of M. vaccae 3 days before inhaled OVA-challenge by one of the three routes: intramuscularly (i.m.), by intratracheal (i.t) instillation or by cutaneous scarification (c.s). Accumulation of inflammatory cells, IFN-gamma and IL-4 levels in BALF were determined.
Results:
The total numbers of the inflammatory cells in BALF from the M. vaccae 2.25 micro g (per mouse) c.s group (6 +/- 6) x 10(8)/L, the 2.25 microgram i.t group (7 +/- 6) x 10(8)/L and the 22.5 micro g i.m group (8 +/- 5) x 10(8)/L, were significantly lower than that of the model control (15 +/- 8) x 10(8)/L (P < 0.05). Eosinophils in the 2.25 microgram c.s group 0.7 +/- 0.5, the 2.25 microgram i.t group 1.6 +/- 1.9, the 7.5 micro g i.m group 2.6 +/- 1.3 and the 22.5 microgram i.m group 1.40 +/- 1.20, were significantly lower than those in the model group 4.90 +/- 4.60 (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). IFN-gamma levels in the 2.25 microgram c.s group (289 +/- 57) pg/ml, the 2.25 micro g i.t group (335 +/- 57) pg/ml and the 22.5 micro g i.m group (313 +/- 49) pg/ml, were significantly higher than that in the model group (216 +/- 42) pg/ml (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). IL-4 levels in the 2.25 microgram c.s group (63 +/- 19) pg/ml, the 2.25 microgram i.t group (8 +/- 5) pg/ml and the 22.5 micro g i.m group (13 +/- 6) pg/ml, were significantly lower than that in the model group (93 +/- 25) pg/ml (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). The inhibitory effect on eosinophil accumulation by i.t or c.s M. vaccae was 10 times stronger than that by i.m M. vaccae. i.t M. vaccae was the most effective in regulating the IFN-gamma/IL-4 ratio.
Conclusion:
M. vaccae inhibited airway inflammation via regulating Th1/Th2 balance, suggesting that it may be beneficial in the treatment of asthma.
