Various studies have reported relationships between salt intake and diseases, such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke, gastric cancer, and bronchial asthma. However, no reports exist on the relationship between salt intake and food allergies. In this study, we investigated the effect of continuous ingestion of sodium chloride (NaCl) on allergy symptoms using a mouse model of food allergy. BALB/c mice were divided into four groups of 6-8 animals each. The control-water group (CW) and sensitization-water group (SW) groups were provided free access to water, and the control-1% NaCl group (CS) and sensitization-1% NaCl group (SS) groups were provided a 1% NaCl solution. The SW and SS groups were sensitized with 50 µg ovalbumin (OVA) at 2 timepoints by intraperitoneal injection. After oral administration of OVA, anaphylactic response was measured and blood was collected. The mice were sacrificed, and serum levels of OVA and anti-OVA immunoglobulin (Ig)E and IgG1 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The sodium ion (Na+) concentrations in duodenal and jejunal extracts were measured using a Na+ ion meter. The results suggested that continuous ingestion of a 1% NaCl solution for 36 days promoted allergen absorption and may have aggravated allergy symptoms in the mice. However, NaCl ingestion did not affect Na+ concentrations in the small intestine or OVA-specific antibody production.
Keywords: BALB/c mice; Food allergy; absorption; allergy symptoms; sodium chloride.