Importance of particulate antigen for the induction of dual bronchial reaction in guinea-pigs

Abstract

There has been a lack of small animal models for the secondary allergic response (SAR) seen after bronchial challenge in many asthmatic patients. We have found that challenge with particulate instead of soluble antigen will provoke an SAR-like bronchial obstruction in the guinea-pig. The particulate form was obtained by coupling the antigen covalently to Sepharose beads (∼100 μm). Different experiments suggest that SAR is obtained only when the challenge is induced via IgE-mediated mechanisms and when the antigen is sufficiently large to provoke frustrated phagocytosis by the invading inflammatory cells. As judged in lung sections SAR was related to bronchiolitis.