Atopic NC/Nga mice as a model for allergic asthma: cytokine profiles and eosinophil productivity of bone marrow.

In previous study, NC/Nga mice with experimentally induced asthma showed severe eosinophilia. To explore the mechanism, profiles of representative cytokines interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, and interferon (IFN)-gamma were examined in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. The level of only IFN-gamma was lower in NC/Nga mice than control BALB/c mice. Furthermore, bone marrow cell culture system under the presence of eosinopoietic cytokines, which induce the differentiation of progenitor cells into mature eosinophils, showed that a larger number of eosinophils differentiated from NC/Nga mice derived bone marrow cells than from control BALB/c mice. These results may imply the possibility that severe eosinophilia in the NC/Nga mice are attributable to lower production of IFN-gamma and higher eosinophil productivity of bone marrow cells.