1. Tidal midexpiratory flow as a measure of airway hyperresponsiveness in allergic mice
- Author
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Harald Renz, Armin Braun, Helmut Fabel, Angelika Daser, Ulrich Neuhaus-Steinmetz, Thomas Glaab, Yves Alarie, and Publica
- Subjects
Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine ,Allergy ,Time Factors ,Physiology ,Immunoglobulins ,Maximal Midexpiratory Flow Rate ,Pulmonary compliance ,Bronchoconstrictor Agents ,Mice ,Physiology (medical) ,Administration, Inhalation ,medicine ,Hypersensitivity ,Tidal Volume ,Plethysmograph ,Animals ,Albuterol ,Respiratory system ,EF50 ,lung function method ,Bronchitis ,Lung Compliance ,Tidal volume ,mouse ,Methacholine Chloride ,Asthma ,Mice, Inbred BALB C ,business.industry ,Pulmonary Gas Exchange ,Respiration ,Cell Biology ,respiratory system ,Adrenergic beta-Agonists ,Allergens ,medicine.disease ,allergy ,respiratory tract diseases ,Plethysmography ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,body plethysmography ,Immunology ,Cytokines ,Female ,Bronchial Hyperreactivity ,business ,Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ,Respiratory tract - Abstract
A method for the noninvasive measurement of airway responsiveness was validated in allergic BALB/c mice. With head-out body plethysmography and the decrease in tidal midexpiratory flow (EF50) as an indicator of airway obstruction, responses to inhaled methacholine (MCh) and the allergen ovalbumin were measured in conscious mice. Allergen-sensitized and -challenged mice developed airway hyperresponsiveness as measured by EF50 to aerosolized MCh compared with that in control animals. This response was associated with increased allergen-specific IgE and IgG1 production, increased levels of interleukin-4 and interleukin-5 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and eosinophilic lung inflammation. Ovalbumin aerosol challenge elicited no acute bronchoconstriction but resulted in a significant decline in EF50 baseline values 24 h after challenge in allergic mice. The decline in EF50 to MCh challenge correlated closely with simultaneous decreases in pulmonary conductance and dynamic compliance. The decrease in EF50 was partly inhibited by pretreatment with the inhaled β2-agonist salbutamol. We conclude that measurement of EF50 to inhaled bronchoconstrictors by head-out body plethysmography is a valid measure of airway hyperresponsiveness in mice.
- Published
- 2001