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Effect of thermoneutral housing on fungal-induced respiratory allergic disease in mice
Citation:
Gordon, C., A. Johnstone, C. Aydin, L. Copeland, J. Lehmann, AND M. Ward. Effect of thermoneutral housing on fungal-induced respiratory allergic disease in mice. Presented at Experimental Biology, April 20 - 24, 2013.
Impact/Purpose:
This abstract will be presented at the Experimental Biology Conference, April 20-24, 2013, Boston, MA
Description:
Climate change is projected to increase the number of fungal, bacterial, and pollen agents both indoors and outdoors and may become a significant health impact. Combined with the thermal stress from a rise in global temperatures, it is important to consider how respiratory allergic responses are altered with global warming. Female, BALB/c mice were implanted with radiotransmitters to monitor core temperature (Tc) and were acclimated for one week to ambient temperatures (Ta) of 22 or 30 °C. Exposure to 30 °C led to small increase in Tc that recovered in ‘3 d. Mice were exposed to house dust mite (HDM) allergen that was administered by intratracheal aspiration 4X over a 4 week period at doses ranging from 1.25 to 20 ug. Airway responses to methacholine challenge were assessed 1 day following the last exposure to HDM and suggest a trend toward more elevated responses in higher dose mice housed at 30 °C. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and blood were collected 2 days after the final exposure. BALF total cell counts increased at 10 and 20 ug in mice acclimated to 22 C. Allergic responses were manifested at lower doses of HDM in mice acclimated to 30 °C. Tc appeared to be unaffected by HDM exposure at 22 and 30 °C. The data suggest that housing in a thermoneutral environment can exacerbate the respiratory allergic response to fungal allergens and possibly other agents. Future studies will address how higher Ta that elevate Tc will affect respiratory allergic responses.