Development and immunopathological characteristics of an Alternaria-induced chronic rhinosinusitis mouse model

PLoS One. 2020 Jun 16;15(6):e0234731. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234731. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Airborne fungi are associated with upper and lower airway inflammatory diseases. Alternaria is commonly found in nasal secretions and induces the production of chemical mediators from sinonasal mucosa. This study aimed to establish an Alternaria-induced chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) mouse model and determine the influence of host allergic background on the immunopathological characteristics of CRS. BALB/c mice were used for establishing the CRS model. Alternaria was intranasally instilled for 8 or 16 weeks with or without ovalbumin (OVA) presensitization. Total serum IgE and Alternaria-specific IgE levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, interferon (IFN)-γ, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels in nasal lavage fluid (NLF) and splenocytes were measured by ELISA and their mRNAs and levels of associated transcription factors in sinonasal mucosa were determined with quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Hematoxylin-eosin staining and periodic acid-Schiff staining were performed to evaluate histological changes. Total serum IgE was increased in both allergic and non-allergic CRS. IL-4 was strongly expressed in NLF in both allergic and non-allergic CRS at 16 weeks and not only eosinophils but also neutrophils were increased in NLF of non-allergic CRS mice. The levels of Th1, Th2, and Treg cytokines and transcription factor mRNAs were significantly increased in sinonasal mucosa of non-allergic CRS mice. Both inflammatory cell infiltration and goblet cell hyperplasia were increased in CRS mice. Repeated intranasal instillation of Alternaria results in sinonasal inflammation with inflammatory cell infiltration. The sinonasal mucosal immune responses against Alternaria were shown to differ depending on the host allergic background.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alternaria / immunology
  • Alternaria / pathogenicity*
  • Animals
  • Chronic Disease
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Immunoglobulin E / blood
  • Interleukin-10 / analysis
  • Interleukin-10 / genetics
  • Interleukin-10 / metabolism
  • Interleukin-4 / analysis
  • Interleukin-4 / genetics
  • Interleukin-4 / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Nasal Lavage Fluid / chemistry
  • Nasal Mucosa / metabolism
  • Nasal Mucosa / pathology
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Rhinitis / immunology
  • Rhinitis / pathology*
  • Sinusitis / immunology
  • Sinusitis / pathology*
  • Spleen / metabolism
  • Spleen / microbiology
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / analysis
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / genetics
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / metabolism

Substances

  • RNA, Messenger
  • Transcription Factors
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Interleukin-10
  • Interleukin-4
  • Immunoglobulin E

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (Ministry of Science and ICT) (2019R1F1A1047757) to PI, SH Shin.