1. We have previously observed that manipulation of Na+ availability during passive in vitro sensitization altered electrophysiological and contractile changes of airway smooth muscle cells. The purpose of this study was to establish whether interference with Na+ influx during sensitization also influences the response of airway smooth muscle, both in vivo and in vitro, to a specific antigen ch...

The morphologic events associated with the immunologic rejection by strain 2 guinea pigs of ascites variants of two lines of diethylnitrosamine-induced tumors have been studied by light and electron microscopy. Tumor injection sites in the skin of control animals exhibited clusters of viable, actively mitotic tumor cells along with a modest inflammatory infiltrate composed of lymphocytes, macro...

The effects of selective cyclooxygenase (COX) isoform (COX-1, COX-2) inhibition, alone or in combination with nitric-oxide synthase (NOS) blockade, on in vitro tracheal muscle responsiveness to histamine were investigated in healthy and ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized guinea pigs. Immunohistochemistry showed that COX-1 and COX-2 are constitutively present in normal guinea pig trachea, particularly i...

Five groups of ten female guinea-pigs were passively sensitized against ovalbumin (OA) (n = 9) or control guinea-pig serum (n = 1). 24 h later, they received mepyramine (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.) and 30 min later inhaled aerosols of: (A) OA (2 in 0.9% saline, 8 min, n = 4/9); (B) saline (40 min, n = 4/9); (C) LPS (40 min, Escherichia coli 0111:B4, 150 ng/kg in PBS, n = 1/9); and (D) the control animal w...

We have developed a guinea pig model for cough related to allergic airway inflammation. Unanesthetized animals were exposed to capsaicin aerosols for 10 min, and cough frequency was counted during this period. The cough evaluation was performed by the following three methods: visual observation, acoustic analysis, and monitoring of pressure changes in the body chamber. These analyses clearly di...

Five mongrel dogs were sensitized to tuberculoprotein with Freund adjuvant, as determined by responses to tuberculin skin tests and by in vitro lymphocyte cultures. These animals served as blood donors for production of transfer factor. Nine mongrel dogs received single doses of transfer factor that was tuberculin specific. Successful transfer of tuberculin sensitivity as measured by lymphocyte...

OBJECTIVE The aim is to determine immunopathological modifications in rectal mucosa from rabbits after local challenge in ovalbumin (OVA) sensitized animals previously treated with montelukast. MATERIAL AND METHODS EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN thirty two rabbits divided into four groups: G1: normal; G2: subcutaneously OVA sensitized; G3: sensitized, locally OVA challenged and sampled 4 hours after ...

The potential for allergic contact sensitization to two polyaromatic hydrocarbons, 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene and benzo(a)pyrene, was investigated in C3H/HeN mice. For each agent, contact hypersensitivity was achieved by applying a 100-micrograms dose to the shaved abdomen. An ear swelling response was observed following application of 20 micrograms of the sensitizing dose to the ear dorsum...

BACKGROUND Increasing clinical epidemiological and experimental evidence indicates that excess of production of reactive oxygen free radicals (ROS) induced by an oxidative stress is involved in the pathogenesis of a number of human airway disorders, as well as equine recurrent airway obstruction. Free-radicals modulate the activation of transcription factors, such as nuclear factor-(NF)-kappaB ...

We evaluated the effects of aerobic exercise (AE) on airway inflammation, exhaled nitric oxide levels (ENO), airway remodeling, and the expression of Th1, Th2 and regulatory cytokines in a guinea pig asthma model. Animals were divided into 4 groups: non-trained and non-sensitized (C), non-sensitized and AE (AE), ovalbumin-sensitized and non-trained (OVA), and OVA-sensitized and AE (OVA+AE). OVA...