Dual-phase response model for bronchial asthma

The authors have successfully developed an animal model of dual-phase bronc hial responses and very high IgG titer by sensitizing Hartley-strain male g uinea pigs. Specific airway resistance, which was determined in a two-chamb er body plethysmograph, was elevated to sevenfold during immediate response , followed by a late phase response with a smaller but marked elevation in resistance. Furthermore, hematological and histological examinations reveal ed that the total cell count increased in BAL obtained during both immediat e and late bronchial responses as compared to pre-OVA challenges. A,signifi cant increase in BAL eosinophils was present only for the late bronchial sa mples, and this finding was supported by histological examination.