ISSN:
1398-9995
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Background: No adequate enteral sensitization models are available to study food allergy and the allergenicity of food proteins. To further validate a enteral brown Norway (BN) rat sensitization model under development, we studied specific protein recognition to determine whether a comparable pattern of proteins is recognized by the rat immune system and the human immune system. Methods: The animals were exposed to either ovalbumin as a positive reference control, hen's egg-white-protein extract, or a cow's milk preparation by daily gavage dosing (0.5, 1, 2.5, 5, 10, or 15 mg protein per rat/day) for 9 weeks. No adjuvants were used during the sensitization studies. The specificities of antibodies against hen's egg-white proteins or cow's-milk proteins in sera from orally sensitized rats and food-allergic patients were studied and compared by immunoblotting. Results: The IgG and IgE antibodies to hen's egg-white proteins and cow's-milk proteins present in sera from orally sensitized rats and food-allergic patients showed a comparable pattern of protein recognition. Conclusions: Upon daily intragastric exposure to food allergens, the specificities of the induced antibody responses in the BN rat resemble those found in food-allergic patients. These studies add further support to the hypothesis that the BN rat may provide a suitable animal model for food allergy research and research on the allergenicity of food proteins.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1034/j.1398-9995.2000.00403.x
