PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - EM Minshall
AU  - RJ Dandurand
AU  - Q Hamid
AU  - DH Eidelman
TI  - Local cytokine messenger ribonucleic acid expression and in vitro allergic late phase responses in Brown-Norway rats
AID  - 10.1183/09031936.98.11030630
DP  - 1998 Mar 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 630--635
VI  - 11
IP  - 3
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/11/3/630.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/11/3/630.full
SO  - Eur Respir J1998 Mar 01; 11
AB  - The events subsequent to antigen challenge in allergic asthmatics involve the synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines. However, little is known how cytokine gene activation prior to allergen challenge may influence this series of events, nor how cytokine gene expression is related to antigen-induced alterations in lung function. Using a novel in vitro explant technique, we hypothesized that the local expression of cytokines influenced the development of antigen-induced late-onset airway responses, and that alterations in cytokine messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression were associated with antigen-induced changes in airway luminal area. Explants were prepared from excised lungs of ovalbumin-sensitized Brown-Norway rats. Airways were challenged by direct application of ovalbumin or an irrelevant control antigen. Cryostat sections of explants were used for in situ hybridization and mRNA for interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4 and interferon (IFN)-gamma were detected using radiolabelled probes. We found that the presence of high numbers of cells expressing IFN-gamma and IL-2 mRNA within the airways attenuated the development of antigen-induced late airway responses in sensitized rat lung explants. Furthermore, we observed that cytokine mRNA for IL-4 was significantly increased following allergen exposure in sensitized lung explants exhibiting late airway responses. This study implicates the local expression of interferon-gamma and interleukin-2 messenger ribonucleic acid in the failure of sensitized rat lung explants to exhibit late airway responses, and provides evidence linking local interleukin-4 messenger ribonucleic acid expression to the sequelae of events occurring as a result of antigen exposure within the airways.