Preventive effects of mycobacteria and their culture supernatants against asthma development in BALB/c mice.
- Author:
Eui Ryoung HAN
1
;
Inseon S CHOI
;
Sun Ho EOM
;
Hwa Jung KIM
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: Asthma; BCG vaccine; interferons; interleukins; mycobacterium
- MeSH: Animals; Asthma; BCG Vaccine; Cell Count; Cytokines; Eosinophils; Epithelial Cells; Female; Goblet Cells; Humans; Interferons; Interleukin-17; Interleukins; Methacholine Chloride; Mice; Mycobacterium; Mycobacterium bovis; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Ovalbumin; Tuberculosis
- From:Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research 2010;2(1):34-40
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: PURPOSE: Live Mycobacterium bovis Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) has a suppressive effect on asthma, but its use in clinical practice may be limited due to adverse reactions. To develop a product that is effective for suppressing asthma with minimal adverse reactions, we investigated whether the heat-killed body or culture supernatants of mycobacteria could also prevent asthma development. METHODS: Female BALB/c mice were treated with live BCG, the heat-killed body, or culture supernatants of BCG or Mycobacterium tuberculosis intraperitoneally, while sensitizing and provoking with ovalbumin. Then they underwent a methacholine bronchoprovocation test, and the peribronchial inflammatory cell numbers and cytokine levels in splenocyte culture supernatants were assessed. RESULTS: The airway sensitivity to methacholine decreased significantly after treatment with not only live BCG (30.8 versus 10.0 mg/mL, P<0.001) but also with the culture supernatant (BCG, 23.0 mg/mL, P<0.05; M. tuberculosis, 20.5 mg/mL, P<0.05). In contrast, heat-killed mycobacteria did not effectively decrease airway sensitivity. The peribronchial eosinophil counts and the goblet cell proportions in total epithelial cells decreased significantly in most of the groups. The interferon-gamma/interleukin-5 ratios increased significantly in most of the treatment groups except for the heat-killed groups, and were significantly related to airway sensitivity (r=0.312, P<0.01) and peribronchial eosinophil counts (r=-0.416, P<0.001). Interleukin-17A level was inversely related to airway sensitivity (r=-0.212, P<0.05) and was significantly lower in the live BCG group than in the control (137+/-20 versus 308+/-57 pg/mL, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: BCG and mycobacteria culture supernatants may effectively prevent the development of asthma associated with altered Th1/Th2 cytokines and interleukin-17A levels.
