Cytokine expression in the presence or absence of late airway responses after antigen challenge of sensitized rats.

To assess whether Th-2 cytokines are involved in the late airway response (LR) after antigen challenge, we evaluated cytokine mRNA expression in the lungs of two strains of rats before and 8 h after saline or antigen challenge: Brown Norway (BN) rats, high IgE producers that develop LR after antigen challenge and Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, low IgE producers that develop little LR and no increased airway responsiveness after antigen challenge. Rats were sensitized with ovalbumin (OA) and 14 days later, lungs were obtained before or after OA challenge and measurement of lung physiology for 8 h. Lung tissue was either fixed for in situ hybridization or frozen for evaluation of mRNA expression by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). We examined mRNA expression for interleukin-4 (IL-4), and IL-5 (Th-2 cytokines) and IL-2 and interferon gamma (IFN-gamma, Th-1 cytokines). In situ hybridization showed that cells expressing IL-4 and -5 mRNA were increased in the airways of the lungs of BN rats after OA challenge (P < 0.05) and that cells expressing mRNA for IFN-gamma and IL-2 were higher in SD than in BN rats after antigen challenge (P < 0.05). Results from PCR showed that prior to antigen challenge, BN rats expressed in their lungs mRNA for IL-4 and -5 and SD rats expressed very little mRNA for IL-5 only. After antigen challenge most BN and SD rats expressed mRNA for IL-4 and -5 but expression of mRNA for IL-2 and IFN-gamma was only found in SD rats. In conclusion, rats that develop a LR after antigen challenge preferentially increase Th-2 cytokine expression in their lungs whereas those without LRs preferentially express Th-1 cytokines. Our results support the role of Th-2 cytokines in the LR and asthma.