Eosinophils Accumulate in the Gastric Mucosa of Food-Allergic Mice

• Published in: International archives of allergy and immunology Vol. 135; no. 1; pp. 1 - 2
• Main Authors: Untersmayr, Eva, Ellinger, Adolf, Beil, Waltraud J., Jensen-Jarolim, Erika
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland Karger 01.01.2004; S. Karger AG
• Subjects: Allergies; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Digestive system; Enteral Nutrition; Eosinophilia - immunology; Experiments; Food; Food Hypersensitivity - complications; Food Hypersensitivity - immunology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Gastric Mucosa - immunology; Images in Allergy and Immunology; Immunopathology; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Models, Animal; Proteins; Stomach Diseases - immunology; Allergy; Stomach; Immunopathology; Digestive system; Mucosa; Rodentia; Granulocyte; Eosinophil; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Immunology; Mouse; Animal; Food
• ISSN: 1018-2438; 1423-0097
• DOI: 10.1159/000080035

Food proteins were given orally under concomitant suppression of gastric acid by proton pump inhibitors, H2-blockers, or acid neutralizers. By downregulating the proton concentration in the gastric fluids, these drugs prevented peptic digestion [5].Simultaneously, the number of mast cells and eosinophils increased, indicating the development of a pathophysiology very similar to human food allergy [5]. In figure 1, the observed eosinophilia is illustrated by an electron micrograph. Eosinophils accumulated in the lamina propria, where these cells play a key role in the inflammation of gastric mucosa. Thus, protein feeding under anti-acid treatment induces type I food allergy in BALB/c mice, most likely simulating the situation in human patients. We suggest that this immunization regime represents a valid murine model of food allergy. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]