You are here:
EFFECTS OF ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION (UVR) ON THE RESPIRATORY ALLERGIC RESPONSES OF BALB/C MICE TO A FUNGAL ALLERGEN
Citation:
Ward, MDW, D M. Sailstad, D L. Andrews, E H. Boykin, AND MJK Selgrade. EFFECTS OF ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION (UVR) ON THE RESPIRATORY ALLERGIC RESPONSES OF BALB/C MICE TO A FUNGAL ALLERGEN. Presented at SOT, San Francisco, CA, March 25-29,2001.
Description:
EFFECTS OF ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION (UVR) ON THE RESPIRATORY ALLERGIC RESPONSES OF BALB/C MICE TO A FUNGAL ALLERGEN. M D W Ward, D M Sailstad, D L Andrews, E H Boykin, and MJ K Selgrade. National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC.
Exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) suppresses T-helper (Th) 1 immune responses. This suppression is associated with increased susceptibility to skin tumors and infectious disease. Th2 responses are not suppressed by UVR suggesting that immediate type hypersensitivity might be unaffected or even enhanced by UVR. In this study, we have looked at UVR modulation of both sensitization and elicitation of Type I respiratory hypersensitivity in BALB/C mice treated with an extract of the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae (MACA). This extract has previously been shown to elicit respiratory allergic responses in mice. EFFECT OF UVR ON SENSITIZATION: 24 hrs. following dorsal shaving 8 week old, female BALB/C mice were sham or UVR (8 KJ/m2) exposed 2X (D-3, D11). Three days after each dorsal UVR/sham exposure the mice were treated intratracheally (IT) with MACA (10 g in 50 l of Hank's Balance Salt Solution (HBSS)) or 50 l of HBSS alone (vehicle control). The mice received a third IT treatment on day 21 (D21). Serum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lungs were harvested on D21 (i.e., before IT instillation), D22, D24, and D28. UVR exposure did not enhance sensitization but did suppress some responses, such as D24 BALF total cell counts, eosinophil influx and total IgE and serum total IgE, when compared to the sham-UVR controls. EFFECT OF UVR ON ELICITATION: Separate groups of mice were treated 3X IT (D0, D14, D21) with MACA as above. These mice received one UVR (8 KJ/m2) or sham exposure 3 days before the 4th IT treatment (D28). On D24, D28 (i.e., before IT instillation), D29, D31, and D35 serum, BALF, and the lungs were harvested. There were no differences observed attributable to UVR exposure in these previously sensitized mice. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that UVR exposure prior to sensitization suppresses allergic responses but has no effect on the elicitation of allergic responses in previously sensitized individuals.
(This abstract does not reflect EPA policy.)
SOT 2001Abstract