Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide receptor 1 mediates anti-inflammatory effects in allergic airway inflammation in mice.

BACKGROUND: Bronchial asthma is characterized by airway inflammation and reversible obstruction. Since the gold standard of therapy, a combination of anti-inflammatory corticosteroids and bronchodilatory ß(2) agonists, has recently been discussed to be related to an increased mortality, there is a need for novel therapeutic pathways. OBJECTIVE: A new experimental concept that encompasses the vasoactive intestinal peptide/pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide (PACAP) family of receptors by demonstrating the anti-inflammatory effects of the PACAP receptor 1 (PAC1R) in a murine model of allergic asthma is described. METHODS: PAC1R expression was investigated in lung tissue and isolated dendritic cells (DCs) via real-time PCR. Ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma models were used in PAC1R-deficient mice and BALB/c mice treated with PAC1R agonist maxadilan (MAX). Bronchoalveolar lavages have been performed and investigated at the cellular and cytokine levels. Fluorescence staining of a frozen lung section has been performed to detect eosinophil granulocytes in lung tissue. Plasma IgE levels have been quantified via the ELISA technique. Lung function was determined using head-out body plethysmography or whole-body plethysmography. RESULTS: Increased PAC1R mRNA expression in lung tissue was present under inflammatory conditions. PAC1R expression was detected on DCs. In OVA-induced asthma models, which were applied to PAC1R-deficient mice (PAC1R(-/-)) and to BALB/c mice treated with the specific PAC1R agonist MAX, PAC1R deficiency resulted in inflammatory effects, while agonistic stimulation resulted in anti-inflammatory effects. No effects on lung function were detected both in the gene-depletion and in the pharmacologic studies. In summary, here, we demonstrate that anti-inflammatory effects can be achieved via PAC1R. CONCLUSION: PAC1R agonists may represent a promising target for an anti-inflammatory therapy in airway diseases such as bronchial asthma.

Increase of inactive intra-alveolar surfactant subtypes in lungs of asthmatic Brown Norway rats.

We tested the hypothesis whether allergic airway inflammation in ovalbumin sensitized and challenged Brown Norway rats is associated with intrinsic surfactant alteration and dysfunction. The determination of intra-alveolar surfactant subtypes and alveolar edema within their original microenvironment is only possible using an ultrastructural stereological approach. Therefore both lungs of control and asthmatic rats were fixed by vascular perfusion. The volume fractions of surfactant subtypes and the epithelial surface fraction covered with alveolar edema were determined by point and intersection counting. Furthermore, lung resistance was measured by means of whole-body plethysmography. The surface activity of surfactant from bronchoalveolar lavage was determined as minimum surface tension at minimal bubble size with a pulsating bubble surfactometer. Compared with controls, in asthmatics (1) the fraction of inactive unilamellar forms was significantly increased from 56% to 66%, (2) the fraction of alveolar epithelium covered with alveolar edema visible by light microscopy was significantly increased from 0.7% to 5.0%, (3) the fraction of alveolar epithelium covered with fluid seen by electron microscopy expanded significantly from 5% to 21%, (4) lung resistance was significantly elevated from 14% to 86% and (5) surface tension was enhanced from 6 mN/m to 12 mN/m. Thus, the inflammatory process after allergen challenge of sensitized Brown Norway rats causes intra-alveolar surfactant alterations. These surfactant alterations might contribute to small airway dysfunction.

Type A natriuretic peptides exhibit different bronchoprotective effects in rats.

The protective effect of 11.4, 22.8 or 45.6 pmol/kg/min cardiodilatin/atrial natriuretic peptide (CDD/ANP-(99-126)), urodilatin (CDD/ANP-(95-126)) or vehicle intravenously against acetylcholine-induced bronchoconstriction was compared in spontaneously breathing, halothane-anesthetized Wistar rats. The inhalation of acetylcholine induced significant alterations of the spontaneous breathing parameters evaluated by whole-body plethysmography without significant differences between the treatment groups. Forced parameters detect airflow changes with a greater sensitivity and were measured in hyperventilation-induced temporary apnoea after the challenge. The forced expiratory volume in 0.1 s revealed a significant protective effect of 11.4 pmol/kg/min urodilatin compared to the controls whereas the parameters of the forced expiratory flow-volume curve were significantly preserved by 11.4 and 22.8 pmol/kg/min urodilatin (P < 0.05). Urodilatin showed protective effects against an acetylcholine challenge whereas CDD/ANP-(99-126) was without significant influence.

Hemoglobin adducts and urine metabolites of 4,4'-methylenedianiline after 4,4'-methylenediphenyl diisocyanate exposure of rats.

4,4'-Methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) is a very important component in the production of polyurethane. In a long-term experiment, designed to determine the carcinogenic and toxic effects of MDI, rats were exposed chronically for 3 and 12 months, to 0.0 (control), 0.26, 0.70 and 2.06 mg MDI/m3 as aerosols. Hemoglobin adducts and urine metabolites of MDI were determined at the different doses in order to develop methods to biomonitor workers exposed to MDI and to assess a risk resulting from such exposure. Hemoglobin adducts and urine metabolites of 4,4'-methylenedianiline (MDA) were found in all rats, including controls. MDA and N-acetyl-MDA (AcMDA) were quantified by GC-MS after derivatization with heptafluorobutyric anhydride. The dose-response relationships for hemoglobin adducts and urine metabolites were non-linear over this dose range. In urine, free AcMDA and MDA were found after base extraction. The amount of MDA present in urine and to a lesser extent the AcMDA found in urine correlate well with the corresponding amount determined as hemoglobin adducts for all dose groups. In order to release MDA from possible conjugates of MDA and AcMDA, urine was treated under strong acidic conditions. Following this procedure higher MDA levels were found than the sum of MDA and AcMDA from mild base hydrolysis. Similar results were obtained with the rats exposed for 3 and 12 months, indicating that a steady state had been reached by 3 months. In order to perform further investigations of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid one group of animals was given a 1 week recovery period before sacrifice. Hemoglobin adducts from these animals showed a decrease of approximately 40% for all dose groups. According to the lifetime of rat erythrocytes the levels of hemoglobin adducts should have decreased by only 22%. This suggests that the erythrocytes with modified hemoglobin have a shorter lifespan. In order to exclude the possibility that hemoglobin adducts may have resulted from ingestion of hydrolyzed MDI via licking of the fur, a single dose experiment with rats exposed through the nose only or with the whole body was carried out. The only difference observed between these two exposure regimes was that the hemoglobin adduct levels of AcMDA after nose only exposure were significantly higher than after total body exposure. The presence of AcMDA in urine and as a hemoglobin adduct indicates that MDA was bioavailable after MDI exposure. The presence of MDA may contribute significantly to the carciongenic potential of MDI, since MDA has been shown to be carcinogenic in animals.

Investigation of Chronic Toxic and Carcinogenic Effects of Gasoline Engine Exhausts Deriving from Fuel without and with Ferrocene Additive.

Chronic toxic and carcinogenic effects of gasoline engine exhaust inhalation were investigated in rats. The exhaust from the combustion of commercial fuel containing 30 ppm ferrocene additive was compared to exhaust from the same fuel without ferrocene. This study was part of a procedure to get a special authorization for the use of ferrocene as gasoline additive according to the German Gasoline Lead Act. To generate the exhausts, pairs of engines of the same type and age were operated on computer-controlled test benches in a combined urban-freeway driving cycle. The engines were equipped with three-way catalysts and lambda sensors. Rats inhaled the exhausts after dilution at ratios of about 1.20 and 1:40 for 18 h/day, 5 days/wk for 12 mo (chronic toxicity study) or for 24 mo followed by 6 mo of clean air (carcinogenicity study). The limiting factor for the exhaust concentration was the relative humidity of the exposure atmosphere. At defined intervals, body weight and food consumption, parameters of clinical chemistry, hematology, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), and mechanical lung function were measured, as well as lung clearance and particle retention in the lungs. In the high-dose groups and the controls the complete organ/tissue spectrum was investigated histopathologically, and in the low-dose groups the respiratory tract. Only slight exposure-related effects could be detected, like a loss in the background iron content of the cell pellet of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and cytoplasmic inclusions and goblet-cell hyperplasias in the nasal cavity. Between the clean-air controls and the exhaust-exposed groups, no exposure-related differences occurred in body weight development, mortality incidences, or any of the clinical investigations. Ninety-two to 94% of the animals developed age-related tumors, predominantly in the mammary glands, uterus, adrenals, thyroid, and pituitary. In the respiratory tract a total of five tumors was found: one in the controls and four in the low-dose groups. No physical, chemical, or toxicological differences between the exhausts from fuel without or with ferrocene were demonstrated.

A toxicological evaluation of inhaled solid lipid nanoparticles used as a potential drug delivery system for the lung.

Inhalation is a non-invasive approach for both local and systemic drug delivery. This study aimed to define the therapeutic window for solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) as a drug delivery system by inhalation from a toxicological point of view. To estimate the toxic dose of SLNs in vitro, A549 cells and murine precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) were exposed to increasing concentrations of SLNs. The cytotoxic effect of SLNs on A549 cells was evaluated by MTT and NRU assays. Viability of lung tissue was determined with WST assay and by life/dead staining using calcein AM/EthD-1 for confocal microscopy (CLSM) followed by quantitative analysis with IMARIS. Inflammation was assessed by measuring chemokine KC and TNF-alpha levels. The in vivo effects were determined in a 16-day repeated-dose inhalation toxicity study using female BALB/c mice, which were daily exposed to different concentrations of SLN30 aerosols (1-200 microg deposit dose). Local inflammatory effects in the respiratory tract were evaluated by determination of total protein content, LDH, chemokine KC, IL-6, and differential cell counts, performed on days 4, 8, 12, and 16 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Additionally, a histopathological evaluation of toxicologically relevant organs was accomplished. The in vitro and ex vivo dose finding experiments showed toxic effects beginning at concentrations of about 500 microg/ml. Therefore, we used 1-200 microg deposit doses/animal for the in vivo experiments. Even after 16 days of challenge with a 200-microg deposit dose, SLNs induced no significant signs of inflammation. We observed no consistent increase in LDH release, protein levels, or other signs of inflammation such as chemokine KC, IL-6, or neutrophilia. In contrast, the particle control (carbon black) caused inflammatory and cytotoxic effects at corresponding concentrations. These results confirm that repeated inhalation exposure to SLN30 at concentrations lower than a 200-microg deposit dose is safe in a murine inhalation model.

Ex vivo lung function measurements in precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) from chemical allergen-sensitized mice represent a suitable alternative to in vivo studies.

A wide range of industrial chemicals can induce respiratory allergic reactions. Hence, there is an urgent need for methods identifying and characterizing the biological action of chemicals in the lung. Here, we present an easy, reliable alternative method to measure lung function changes ex vivo after exposure to chemical allergens and compare this to invasive in vivo measurements after sensitization with the industrial chemicals trimellitic anhydride (TMA) and 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB). Female BALB/c mice were sensitized epicutaneously with the respiratory allergen TMA and the contact sensitizer DNCB. The early allergic response to TMA and DNCB was registered in vivo and ex vivo on day 21 after inhalational challenge with dry standardized aerosols or after exposure of precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) to dissolved allergen. Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) to increasing doses of methacholine (MCh) was measured on the next day in vivo and ex vivo. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed for immunological characterization of local inflammation. TMA-sensitized mice showed AHR to MCh in vivo (ED(50): 0.06 microg MCh vs. 0.21 microg MCh in controls) and in PCLS (EC(50): 0.24 microM MCh vs. 0.4 microM MCh). TMA-treated animals showed increased numbers of eosinophils (12.8 x 10(4) vs. 0.7 x 10(4)) and elevated eotaxin-2 concentrations (994 pg/ml vs. 167 pg/ml) in BAL fluid 24 h after allergen challenge. In contrast, none of these parameters differed after sensitization with DNCB. The present study suggests that the effects of low molecular weight allergens, like TMA and DNCB, on ex vivo lung functions tested in PCLS reflect the in vivo situation.

Comparison of non-invasive measures of cholinergic and allergic airway responsiveness in rats.

AIM: Non-invasive analysis of tidal expiratory flow parameters such as Tme/TE (time needed to reach peak expiratory flow divided by total expiratory time) or midexpiratory tidal flow (EF50) has been shown useful for phenotypic characterization of lung function in humans and animal models. In this study, we aimed to compare the utility of two non-invasive measures, EF50 and Tme/TE, to monitor bronchoconstriction to inhaled cholinergic and allergic challenges in Brown-Norway rats. METHODS: Non-invasive measurements of Tme/TE and EF50 were paralleled by invasive recordings of Tme/TE, EF50 and pulmonary conductance (GL). RESULTS: First, dose-response studies with acetylcholine were performed in naive rats, showing that EF50 better than Tme/TE reflected the dose-related changes as observed with the classical invasive outcome parameter GL. The subsequent determination of allergen-specific early airway responsiveness (EAR) showed that ovalbumin-sensitized and -challenged rats exhibited airway inflammation and allergen-specific EAR. Again, EF50 was more sensitive than Tme/TE in detecting the allergen-specific EAR recorded with invasive and non-invasive lung function methods and agreed well with classical GL measurements. CONCLUSION: We conclude that non-invasive assessment of EF50 is significantly superior to Tme/TE and serves as a suitable and valid tool for phenotypic screening of cholinergic and allergic airway responsiveness in rats.

Surfactant protein D inhibits early airway response in Aspergillus fumigatus-sensitized mice.

BACKGROUND: The surfactant protein SP-D has been reported to reduce bronchial hyper-responsiveness, blood eosinophilia, and T-helper type 2 cytokines in models of allergic asthma. However, little is known about the functional effect of SP-D on the early airway response upon allergen inhalation, which is an important feature of this disease. OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether SP-D is able to reduce the immediate allergen-induced mediator release and the early bronchial obstruction in addition to its effects on airway inflammation and bronchial hyperresponsiveness in an Aspergillus fumigatus mouse asthma model. METHODS: A. fumigatus-sensitized mice were treated with a recombinant fragment of human SP-D or placebo. Lung functions were measured in orotracheally intubated, spontaneously breathing animals using body plethysmography. In addition, passively sensitized precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) were used to determine the effect of SP-D on allergen-induced histamine release. RESULTS: SP-D inhibited the allergen-induced early airway response and reduced airway hyperresponsiveness compared with placebo. Eosinophilia in bronchoalveolar lavage and lung tissue was reduced after SP-D treatment, possibly by reducing eotaxin levels in the lung. Furthermore, SP-D treatment reduced the allergen-induced histamine release from PCLS. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that SP-D not only reduces allergen-induced eosinophilic inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness but also provides protection against early airway obstruction by inhibition of early mediator release.

Comparative investigation of the effects of zardaverine and theophylline on pulmonary function in rats.

Zardaverine (Byk Gulden, Konstanz, Germany) is a new selective phosphodiesterase (PDE) III/IV inhibitor. The bronchodilating and bronchoprotective potency of zardaverine and the nonselective PDE inhibitor theophylline was compared by measuring typical spontaneous and forced respiratory function parameters in anesthetized female Wistar rats using whole-body plethysmography. Zardaverine (3, 10, 30 mumol/kg) and theophylline (30, 100, 300 mumol/kg), respectively, were given orally in 4% Methocel/0.9% saline solution 20 min before measurement. One week before treatment, control measurements were performed in the same animals after administration of the vehicle. When spontaneously breathing, the 30 mumol/kg zardaverine- (300 mumol/kg theophylline-) treated animals showed significant changes: a 23% (14% ns) decrease in lung resistance and a 43% (25%) increase in dynamic compliance. These changes can be interpreted as an indication of bronchodilation, since quasistatic lung compliance was unchanged. In the acetylcholine challenge test, treatment with only 10 mumol/kg zardaverine (but 300 mumol/kg theophylline) revealed significant changes compared to control measurement: a 37% (28%) lower resistance and 85% (44%) higher compliance. It has been determined that zardaverine is more than 30 times as potent as theophylline in inhibiting acetylcholine-induced bronchospasms, which is also supported by forced expiratory flow data.

32P-postlabeling of a DNA adduct derived from 4,4'-methylenedianiline, in the olfactory epithelium of rats exposed by inhalation to 4,4'-methylenediphenyl diisocyanate.

Tissues obtained from female Wistar rats exposed to a 0.9 microm aerosol of 4,4'-methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) for 17 h per day, 5 days per week, for one year, at levels of 0, 0.3, 0.7 and 2.0 mg/m(3), were analyzed for DNA adducts. A 32P-postlabeling method was used to detect (i), adducts formed by the reaction of the isocyanate group(s) of MDI with DNA; and a 32P-postlabeling method was adapted to detect (ii), a DNA adduct formed by 4,4'- methylenedianiline (MDA), a hydrolysis/decarboxylation product of MDIV. In the lung, neither isocyanate adducts nor the arylamine adduct were detectable. The same negative result was seen in the liver, the bladder, the kidney, the respiratory epithelium and in peripheral lymphocytes. In the olfactory epithelium, on the other hand, the arylamine-derived DNA adduct was detected, at the very low levels of 5,9 and 10 adduct-nucleotides per 10(10) nucleotides, for the three dose groups, respectively. The adduct co-chromatographed with the one formed in the liver of rats after oral gavage of MDA. The results are discussed in terms of the importance of genotoxic versus nongenotoxic aspects of carcinogenesis.

Aerosolized surfactant inhibits acetylcholine-induced airway obstruction in rats.

Exogenous surfactant treatment inhibits antigen-induced airway obstruction in sensitized guinea-pigs. Aerosolized surfactant also improves respiratory function in asthmatic patients. The aim of the present study was to determine whether aerosolized surfactant inhibits nonallergic airway obstruction induced by acetylcholine. Anaesthetized Wistar rats were treated by aerosol with the beta2-adrenoceptor agonist terbutaline, surfactant (Alveofact), a surfactant-terbutaline combination, or vehicle (control). Animals were then challenged by aerosolized acetylcholine to elicit receptor-mediated airway obstruction. A second group of animals was challenged with intravenous acetylcholine. Respiratory function variables were measured by body plethysmography before and after treatment, and after the acetylcholine challenge. Baseline lung function values before and after treatment were similar in all groups. Acetylcholine challenge by aerosol increased lung resistance by 64% in control animals. Pretreatment with terbutaline and surfactant significantly limited the increase of lung resistance to +36 and +34%, respectively. Simultaneous aerosolization of surfactant and terbutaline also inhibited airway obstruction but their effects were not additive. By contrast, terbutaline treatment inhibited the effects of intravenous acetylcholine, but surfactant did not. In conclusion, we suggest that surfactant aerosol may prevent acetylcholine and other pharmacological agents from reaching the airway smooth muscle from the airway lumen but not via the bloodstream.

Effect of anti-nerve growth factor on early and late airway responses in allergic rats.

BACKGROUND: The increased production of nerve growth factor (NGF) has been associated with allergen-induced airway hyperresponsiveness and enhanced airway inflammation in experimental models of asthma. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a local application of anti-NGF to the lungs may affect the allergen-specific early (EAR) and late (LAR) airway responses to ovalbumin (Ova) of Ova-sensitized brown Norway rats. METHODS: Rats were sensitized systemically with Ova and were boosted twice intratracheally with Ova aerosol using a microsprayer. Two hours before every boost, the animals were pretreated either with aerosolized anti-NGF or with a control antibody. On day 21, all animals were challenged with inhalational Ova aerosol and pulmonary resistance was recorded in anesthetized, orotracheally intubated animals during the early and late asthmatic responses. In addition, differential cell counts from bronchoalveolar lavage and serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels were determined 48 h post-Ova challenge. RESULTS: Pretreatment with anti-NGF significantly attenuated the EAR but had no significant effect on the LAR. Serum IgE levels and inflammatory cell influx into the lungs were not affected by anti-NGF pretreatment. CONCLUSION: The data from this study suggest that NGF is directly involved in the development of the EAR without affecting the inflammatory airway response or LAR.

Pulmonary surfactant activity is impaired in lung transplant recipients.

Impaired graft function in the postoperative course after lung transplantation (LTx) may in part be due to alterations in pulmonary surfactant. Animal data provide increasing evidence for surfactant abnormalities in the early course after graft reperfusion. However, little is known about the integrity of the surfactant system in human lung transplant recipients. We therefore investigated surfactant properties in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of patients with lung transplants (n = 60) in comparison to that of healthy subjects (n = 10). The phospholipid concentrations of BALF and of surfactant subfractions were measured, and total protein was analyzed. Surface activity was measured with a pulsating bubble surfactometer (PBS). Minimum surface tension was 15.8 +/- 1.1 mN/m in lung transplant recipients, whereas healthy subjects had minimum surface tensions of 3.4 +/- 1.9 mN/m (p = 0.0004). As a marker for potential surfactant inhibition, protein-to-phospholipid (PL) ratios showed no significant differences in the two major study groups. The ratio of small surfactant aggregates to large surfactant aggregates was increased in patients with lung transplants (p = 0.043). Episodes of infection or rejection did not change surface activities, nor did they induce altered ratios of protein to PL or of small to large surfactant aggregates. Surfactant activity did not correlate with pulmonary-function data. Moreover, surface tension showed no correlation with the time after transplantation. Our results suggest a persistent impairment of biophysical surfactant properties after LTx, possibly due to type-II-cell malfunction.

Dysfunction of pulmonary surfactant in asthmatics after segmental allergen challenge.

Increased airway resistance in asthma may be partly due to poor function of pulmonary surfactant. This study investigated the inflammatory changes of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and the performance of BALF surfactant in healthy control subjects (n = 9) and patients with mild allergic asthma (n = 15) before and after segmental challenge. BALF was obtained for baseline values, and 24 h after challenge with saline solution in one lung segment and with allergen in another. Cell counts, phospholipid and protein concentrations, and ratios of small to large surfactant aggregates (SA/LA) were analyzed. Surface tension was determined with a pulsating bubble surfactometer, and the ability of the BALF surfactant to maintain airway patency was assessed with a capillary surfactometer. Baseline values of control subjects and asthmatics were not different. Challenge with saline and antigen raised total inflammatory cells in both control subjects and asthmatics. Allergen challenge of asthmatics, but not of healthy volunteers, significantly increased eosinophils, proteins, SA/ LA, and surface tension at minimum bubble size, and diminished the time the capillary tube is open. In conclusion, allergen challenge in asthmatics induced surfactant dysfunction, probably mainly because of inhibiting proteins. During an asthma attack, narrow conducting airways may become blocked, which might contribute to an increased airway resistance.

Cutting edge: guinea pigs with a natural C3a-receptor defect exhibit decreased bronchoconstriction in allergic airway disease: evidence for an involvement of the C3a anaphylatoxin in the pathogenesis of asthma.

Asthma is a major cause of morbidity worldwide with prevalence and severity still increasing at an alarming pace. Hallmarks of this disease include early-phase bronchoconstriction with subsequent eosinophil infiltration, symptoms that may be mimicked in vivo by the complement-derived C3a anaphylatoxin, following its interaction with the single-copy C3aR. We analyzed the pathophysiological role of the C3a anaphylatoxin in a model of experimental OVA-induced allergic asthma, using an inbred guinea pig strain phenotypically unresponsive to C3a. Molecular analysis of this defect revealed a point mutation within the coding region of the C3aR that creates a stop codon, thereby effectively inactivating gene function. When challenged by OVA inhalation, sensitized animals of this strain exhibited a bronchoconstriction decreased by approximately 30% in comparison to the corresponding wild-type strain. These data suggest an important role of C3a in the pathogenesis of asthma and define a novel target for drug intervention strategies.