EFFECT OF DIETARY NUCLEOSIDES AND NUCLEOTIDES ON MURINE ALLERGIC RHINITIS

Although there are studies that report the effects of dietary nucleosi de and nucleotide mixtures on the immune response, none are concerned with the role in allergic disease. This study evaluated the effect of dietary nucleic acid mixture (NAM) on mice with a nasal allergy model. One group of mice was supplemented with a 0.5% NAM and the other two groups were fed with a nucleic acid-free diet with 20% casein that ser ved as sensitized and nonsensitized controls. The mice of the NAM grou p and the sensitized control group were sensitized in two courses by 2 mu l of 5% 2,4-toluene diisocyanate (TDI), whereas the nonsensitized control was given 2 mu l of ethylacetate instead of TDI. On the 28th d ay, an allergy was provoked with 4 mu l of 2.5% TDI and the allergic r esponses were observed for 10 minutes, Results showed that the NAM die t group had more severe symptoms of itching, rhinorrhea, snorting, and irritability compared with the controls; also observed were a high in cidence of sneezing at 34.7 +/- 4.0 in NAM compared with 19.0 +/- 3.0 (P < 0.001) in sensitized controls and 2.8 +/- 0.7 in nonsensitized co ntrols, From this study, it can be concluded that diets supplemented w ith nucleic acid mixture contribute to the severity of murine allergic rhinitis.