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RELATIVE POTENCY OF FUNGAL EXTRACTS IN INDUCING ALLERGIC ASTHMA-LIKE RESPONSES IN BALB/C MICE
Citation:
CHUNG, Y., L. B. COPELAND, M. K. SELGRADE, AND M. D. WARD. RELATIVE POTENCY OF FUNGAL EXTRACTS IN INDUCING ALLERGIC ASTHMA-LIKE RESPONSES IN BALB/C MICE. Presented at 45th Annual Society of Toxicology Meeting 2006, San Diego, CA, March 05 - 09, 2006.
Description:
Indoor mold has been associated with the development of allergic asthma. However, relative potency of molds in the induction of allergic asthma is not clear. In this study, we tested the relative potency of fungal extracts (Metarizium anisophilae [MACA], Stachybotrys chartarum [SCE]) to induce allergic responses to compare to house dust mite extract (HDM) in BALB/c mice. The fungal protein extracts as well as house dust mite extract were administered by involuntary aspiration (IA) at several doses (2.5, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 g) four times over a four-week period. Three days after the last IA exposure, serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were harvested. BALF total cell counts, BALF differential cell counts including eosinophils, and serum total and specific IgE were assessed. The lowest dose that resulted in the highest eosinophil counts in BALF was at 20 µg of MACA-treated mice. The lowest dose that produced a significantly increase of total IgE in serum was also at 20 µg of MACA-treated mice where total IgE levels from SCE- and HDM-treated mice were similar. Antigen specific IgE was assayed in rat basophilic leukemia (RBL) cells. MACA-treated mice had the highest specific IgE amount based on β-hexosaminidase release. Taken together, the potency ranking for the induction of allergic asthma-like responses in the mouse model is MACA > SCE = HDM. (This abstract does not reflect EPA policy.)