OF THE MOUSE INTRANASAL TEST (MINT) TO DETERMINE THE ALLERGENIC POTENCY OF DETERGENT ENZYMES - COMPARISON TO THE GUINEA-PIG INTRATRACHEAL (GPIT) TEST

A mouse intranasal test (MINT) was developed to determine the relative allergenicity of detergent enzymes. In this simple method, various do ses of the enzymes are administered in a detergent matrix, via intrana sal instillation, on days 1, 3, and 10, with serum samples collected o n day 15. The sera are then analyzed for enzyme specific IgG1 antibody by an antigen specific enzyme immunoassay. The protease enzyme Alcala se (protease Subtilisin Carlsberg) has been used as a benchmark enzyme for development and characterization of the model. The objective of t he current studies was to obtain potency comparisons with other protea se and nonprotease enzymes and to begin to assess the validity of the model by comparison with potency determinations obtained with the guin ea pig intratracheal (GPIT) test. The range of potencies detected amon g several enzymes of different classes was approximately 60-fold (comp ared with Alcalase), Modification of the dosing regimen to permit slig htly more extended dosing did not change the relative potency determin ation. Comparison of data from the MINT and GPIT methods indicate that both the mouse and the guinea pig recognize the bacterial amylase Ter mamyl and a fungal exocellulase as more potent than Alcalase, a serine protease (Subtilisin B) and a fungal alpha-amylase (Fungamyl) as less potent than Alcalase, and the serine protease, Savinase, as equivalen t to Alcalase. Also, these data are in alignment with clinical data on the prevalence of occupational enzyme sensitization. Given the simpli city and low cost of the MINT method compared with the GPIT test, thes e results support continued development of the method as an alternativ e approach for assessing the allergenicity of enzymes. (C) 1998 Societ y of Toxicology.