EFFECTS OF RHINOVIRUS INFECTION ON HYDROGEN PEROXIDE-INDUCED ALTERATIONS OF BARRIER FUNCTION IN THE CULTURED HUMAN TRACHEAL EPITHELIUM

To investigate whether rhinovirus infection impairs epithelial barrier functions, human rhinovirus 14 (HRV-14) was infected to primary cultu res of human tracheal epithelial cells and experiments were performed on Day 2 after HRV-14 infection. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2; 3 x 10(-4) M ) increased electrical conductance (G) across the epithelial cell shee t measured with Ussing's chamber methods. Exposure of the epithelial c ells to HRV-14 had no effect on H2O2-induced increases in G and [H-3]m annitol flux through the cultured epithelium in the control condition, but it markedly potentiated H2O2-induced increases in both parameters in IL-1 beta (100 U/ml) pretreated condition. However, pretreatment w ith TNF-alpha (100 U/ml) was without effect. IL-1 beta enhanced the in tercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression assessed by immuno histochemical analysis and susceptibility of epithelial cells to HRV-1 4 infection. An antibody to ICAM-1 inhibited HRV-14 infection of epith elial cells and abolished H2O2-induced increases in G and [H-3]mannito l flux in IL-1 beta-pretreated epithelial cells with HRV-14 infection. These results suggest that rhinovirus infection may reduce barrier fu nctions in the airway epithelium in association with upregulation of I CAM-1 expression.