Isolation and characterization of porcine cationic eosinophil granule proteins

The allergic pig can be used as a large-animal model for studies of allergic reactions in the airways and the role of eosinophils in such reactions. To measure the activation of eosinophils, the release of eosinophil-derived cationic proteins can be used. The purpose of this study was to isolate and characterize cationic proteins derived from porcine eosinophils. Pigs were infested with live Ascaris suum eggs to induce eosinophilia (greater than or = 40% of leukocytes). Blood was collected and leukocytes were prepared by dextran sedimentation. Granules were obtained from the homogenized leukocytes by ultracentrifugation and cationic proteins were extracted and separated by gel filtration, cation exchange and zinc affinity chromatography. Using these methods, three cationic proteins were isolated from pig granulocytes, two of which were shown to originate from the eosinophil. The proteins were characterized according to molecular weight, amino acid composition, N-terminal sequence, isoelectric point, peroxidase and ribonuclease activity and antigenicity. One eosinophil protein was identified as eosinophil peroxidase and the other showed great similarities with human eosinophil cationic protein. The third protein was not specific for eosinophils, and had no obvious equivalent in human granulocytes. The eosinophil-derived proteins may be useful in the studies of eosinophil activation, e.g. in late-phase asthmatic reactions, where the pig represents a new candidate model for large-animal allergy research.