INTRANASAL INSTILLATION OF DIESEL EXHAUST PARTICULATES AND ANTIGEN INMICE MODULATED CYTOKINE PRODUCTIONS IN CERVICAL LYMPH-NODE CELLS

To investigate cytokine production stimulated by diesel exhaust partic ulates (DEP) and antigen through the intranasal route, mice were admin istered with DEP mixed with ovalbumin (OA) 3 times at an interval of 3 weeks, After the last instillation, cervical lymph node cells (LNC) w ere cultured in vitro with OA and antigen-presenting cells. The prolif erative response to OA in cervical LNC from mice instilled with DEP an d OA was noted to have increased significantly compared to mice instil led with OA alone, Interleukin 3 (IL-4) and interferon (IFN)-y in cult ure supernatants were measured with ELISA, OA-stimulated IL-4 producti on in cervical LNC from mice instilled with DEP and OA markedly increa sed beyond that in the control mice. Tn contrast, OA-stimulated IFN-ga mma production in cervical LNC from mice instilled with OA was 3 times that for DEP and OA-instilled mice. OA-specific IgE antibody in sera showed a trend to be increased in mice intranasally instilled with DEP and OA, These results suggest that intranasal instillation of DEP and antigen in mice may modulate in vitro antigen-stimulated cytokine pro duction from cervical LNC with a consequent increase in IgE antibody p roduction.