H. Iwamoto et al., Experimental immune-mediated blepharoconjunctivitis in rats induced by immunization with ragweed pollen, GR ARCH CL, 238(4), 2000, pp. 346-351
Citations number
21
Categorie Soggetti
Optalmology
Journal title
GRAEFES ARCHIVE FOR CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL OPHTHALMOLOGY
Background: A study was performed to compare the effects of immunization wi
th ragweed pollen (RW) in two different adjuvants on the characteristics of
a previously described model of experimental immune-mediated blepharoconju
nctivitis (EC) in rats. Methods: Lewis or Brown Norway (BN) rats were immun
ized with 100 mu g of RW in emulsion with aluminum hydroxide [Al(OH)(3)] or
complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). Three weeks later, the animals were chal
lenged with eye drops containing RW in PBS. Twenty-four hours after topical
challenge, eyes, blood, and lymph nodes were obtained for histology, measu
rement of antigen-specific antibodies, and proliferation or cytokine assays
, respectively. In addition to active immunization, recipients of RW-primed
lymph node cells were challenged and evaluated as above. Results: RW in bo
th adjuvants induced infiltration with predominantly mononuclear cells in L
ewis rats and eosinophils in BN rats. As well as active immunization, eosin
ophils were detected only in BN rats by adoptive transfer of cells. Lymphoc
yte proliferative responses to RW were high in immunized Lewis rats when CF
A was used as an adjuvant. In contrast, proliferative responses in BN rats
were higher when Al(OH)(3) was used, RW-specific IgE was detected only in B
N rats. There were no significant differences in RW-specific IgG1/gCr2a rat
io among the four groups. Lewis rats had higher level of RW-specific interf
eron-gamma in the culture supernatant. Conclusions: The characteristics of
EC are different in Lewis and BN rats, dependent on the genetic background
of the rat strains. The response to RW was similar to other previously used
antigens, such as ovalbumin.